Softball Wins Convincingly; Win Streak Stands at 10

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team rolled to two convincing wins over Lake Superior State University today (Mar. 25) at the SVSU Sports Complex. The Cardinals took game one by a score of 16-2 in five innings and game two by a score of 8-0 in six innings to extend their winning streak to 10 games on the season.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Marsha Beaubein (Alpena, Mich.) scored on a Sarah Sheffer (Watervliet, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley C.C.) double to right center. Sheffer would score later in the innings on a Lake Superior fielding error.

It would be in the second inning that the SVSU offense would catch absolute fire, scoring seven run on six hits. Shannon McLaughlin (Watervliet, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley C.C.) would lead off the inning with a walk and would score on an Ashley Jordan (Freeland, Mich.) single up the middle. The Cardinals would keep their stranglehold on the Lakers as they continued to bat through the lineup. McLaughlin, who started the inning with a walk, would drive in the final two runs of the inning as SVSU moved out in front of the Lakers by a score of 9-0.

Jordan would get things started with a single through the left side in the third and then Kaiser would reach on a bunt single. Beaubein would then load the bases with a single to right field for Stacy Kraatz (Howell, Mich./Hartland HS). Jordan would score on a passed ball before Kraatz singled to right driving in Kaiser. The Cardinals would tack on five runs in the inning to go up 14-0.

Tory Watson (Oxford, Ohio / Talawanda HS) led off the top of the fifth with an infield single and would score on a Jillian Peterson (Freeland, Mich.) single. Nikki Bigelow (Grandville, Mich.) would drive in Samantha Dambert (Ellsworth, Mich.) for the final run of the game and the 16-2 lead.

Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) got the start for the Cardinals, allowing no runs in three innings, while striking out five batters. Fulton improved her record to 7-2 on the season.

Game two would start in similar fashion as the first; the Cardinals would jump out to an early 2-0 lead for Kraatz (4-2) who got the start in the Circle. Kraatz would need just 49 pitches for the complete game two-hitter against the Lakers.

Beaubein would get things started with a one-out double to left field and score later in the inning with Kraatz on a Fick double to left center. The Cardinals would add two more runs in the bottom of the second. Beaubein would double home Billi Hoeppner (Hemlock, Mich.) who reached on a one-out walk. A dropped Kraatz fly ball would score Beaubein to give the Cardinals the 4-0 advantage.

Fick would score the Cardinals only run of the third inning after singling up the middle to lead off the inning. Bigelow would give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead after she hit a two-run homerun to score Peterson. SVSU would end things in the bottom of the sixth after Kraatz led off the inning with a walk and scored on a Fick double to center field.

With the win the Cardinals move to 15-5 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC, while Lake Superior State University falls to 6-19 overall and 0-2 in the GLIAC. These two teams will meet up again on Saturday when the Lakers travel back down for the double header.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Jade Fulton: P; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#21 Billi Hoeppner: OF; 5' 6"; Junior

#13 Ashley Jordan: OF; 5' 5"; Sophomore

#7 Stacy Kraatz: UTL; 5' 7"; Senior

#6 Jillian Peterson: INF; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#18 Tory Watson: OF; 5' 7"; Redshirt

Players Mentioned

#4 Jade Fulton
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: P

#21 Billi Hoeppner
: 5' 6"; Junior
: OF

#13 Ashley Jordan
: 5' 5"; Sophomore
: OF

#7 Stacy Kraatz
: 5' 7"; Senior
: UTL

#6 Jillian Peterson
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: INF

#18 Tory Watson
: 5' 7"; Redshirt
: OF