KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's softball team won their fourth consecutive game at the 2009 Rebel Spring Games with 2-0 victories over Concordia-St. Paul and Wheeling Jesuit on Friday afternoon (Mar. 13). The Cardinals have now won five of their last six games and three of their last four games have been shutouts.

In Game one, Cardinals' ace Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) (4-2) took the circle and threw a gem of a game for Saginaw Valley. Fulton would need just 77 pitches over her seven innings pitched. She allowed just one hit, while striking out ten batters on the afternoon.

The Cardinals managed to give Fulton all the runs she would need in the bottom of the first inning when Angela Kaiser (Waterford, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes HS) reached base on a walk and quickly moved over to third on two illegal pitches. Kaiser would score on a Marsha Beaubein (Alpena, Mich.) bunt that would give the Cardinals an early 1-0 advantage. Beaubein would then swipe second and third bases on back-to-back pitches, for her 13 and 14 stolen bases on the season. Jessica Anhel (Oxford, Mich.) would then capitalize on the runner in scoring position with a deep single to right center to drive in Beaubein for the Cardinals second and final run of the game. The Cardinals would rack up 11 hits on the afternoon but would be unable to add any more runs in the 2-0 victory over Concordia-St. Paul.

In Game two, Stacy Kraatz (Howell, Mich./Hartland HS) (3-2) took to the circle for the Cardinals and picked right up where Fulton had left off earlier in the day. Kraatz threw five solid innings of shutout softball allowing two hits over five innings and striking out two batters. Fulton would pitch the final two innings for her second save of the season and the combined shutout with Kraatz.

The Cardinals offense on the other hard wouldn't give Kraatz the earlier lead and would wait for a Wheeling Jesuit pitching change before they could get any offensive momentum going. A single through the right side by Beaubein would get things rolling in the sixth for SVSU. Beaubein would then steal her 15th base of the season to move into scoring position. A muffed throw by the second baseman on a Kraatz sacrifice bunt would allow Beaubein to score the games first run. Later in the inning Nicole Fick (Columbiaville, Mich./Lapeer West) would drive in Kraatz for the final run of the game with a single to left field.

The Cardinals improve their record to 9-5 on the season and will finish play at the 2009 Rebel Spring Games tomorrow (Mar. 14) with games against Minnesota-Moorhead and Southwest Minnesota State.