UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw
Valley softball team has now won 14 games in a row by knocking off
Northwood University today (March 30), 1-0 and 8-0 on a day the
record books have been rewritten by senior Stacy Kraatz (Howell,
Mich.)
Game 1
In the opener, the Cardinals and Timberwolves were deadlocked
until the top of the sixth inning when Ashley Jordan (Freeland,
Mich. / Freeland HS) led off the top of the sixth with a double to
right center field, followed by a single to left field by Angela
Kaiser (Waterford, Mich. / Our Lady of the Lakes HS) to advance
Jordan to third base. Marsha Beaubien (Alpena, Mich. / Alpena HS)
was next in the batter's box; she took a 1-2 pitch and
singled down the right field line to score Jordan for the only run
of the game.
On the mound for the Cardinals, Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich. / Byron
HS) got the shut-out victory to improve her record to 9-2 on the
season, while giving up just three hits, walking none and striking
out 10 in seven innings.
In the nightcap, the Cardinal bats came out swinging with three
runs in the bottom of the first inning as Kaiser led off the game
with a triple to right center field, followed by Kraatz reaching on
a one-out error to give the Cardinals runners on the corners. Sarah
Sheffer (Watervliet, Mich. / Kalamazoo Valley C.C) stepped in, and
reached on a fielder's choice, with Kraatz advancing to
second to load the bases for Nicole Fick (Columbiaville, Mich. /
Lapeer West HS) who laid down a perfect bunt that scored Kaiser.
With the bases loaded, Shannon McLaughlin (Watervliet, Mich. /
Kalamazoo Valley C.C.) stepped in and was hit by a pitch, forcing
Kraatz home. Next up, Nikki Bigelow (Grandville, Mich. / Grandville
HS) was hit by a pitch, which forced Sheffer across the plate to
end SVSU's scoring.
In the second inning, Kraatz rewrote the SVSU history books by
clobbering a home run down the left field line. That homerun was
No. 5 on the season, and No. 24 of her career, giving her the
top-spot in the all-time career home runs.
In the third, the SVSU bats exploded for four runs on four hits
with Fick reaching on a fielding error by the Timberwolves's
shortstop, followed by Jessica Anhel (Oxford, Mich. / Oxford HS)
reaching on an error by the second baseman, which gave the
Cardinals runner on first and second with nobody out. With two
outs, Jordan sank in, and drove a single to right field, loading
the bases for Kaiser. Kaiser stepped in, and ripped a double down
into right center field, scoring Fick and Anhel. Beaubien next hit
a two-run single to right field to close out the game's
scoring for the afternoon.
On the mound, Stacey Kraatz (5-2) picked up the shut-out win to
improve SVSU's record to 19-5 overall, and a perfect 6-0 in
the GLIAC, while Northwood falls to 6-14 overall, and 0-6 in the
GLIAC. Saginaw Valley State will return to action Wednesday (April
1) to take on #6-ranked Ferris State University in a GLIAC showdown
at the SVSU Sports Complex. Game time is scheduled for 3:30
p.m.
Contact: Matthew Woodbury (989) 964-4053
