MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team won both games in five innings on day two of the Spring Break trip. The Cardinals (5-3) began the day with a 9-1 win over Cedarville before defeating Walsh 9-0 in the second game of the evening.
GAME 1: SVSU 9 – Cedarville 1 (5-Innings)
Kate Pnacek got things going with a single to left field to get on base with only one out in the top of the first. Pnacek advanced to second on a wild pitch before moving to third on Lillia Sherman's single to left field. Pnacek then stole home with two outs to give SVSU the quick 1-0 lead.
A double left field by the Yellow Jackets scored a run and tied the game going into the second inning.
A throwing error with the bases loaded brought Ella Reifschneider and Pnacek across the plate to extend the lead to 3-0. Mya Purdy then singled to score Emma Helvie and move Aalana Kimble to third. Purdy stole second before Ella Schneider hit an infield single to score Kimble and advance Purdy one more bag. A sacrifice bunt by Emily Schmeltz scored Purdy and the Cardinals ended the top of the 3rd-inning with a 6-1 lead after five runs on three hits.
Sherman doubled down the right field line to bring Reifschneider home in the top of the fourth and the lead was pushed to six runs. Pnacek put the final nail in the coffin with a single to center field that scored both Natalie Savage and Schneider and SVSU ended the game after five innings of play.
Pnacek led the Cardinals with 3-for-4 batting with two runs and two RBI. Sherman finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Schneider was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI.
Macy Irelan (W, 2-2) registered a fourth complete game and brought her win total to two after seven strikeouts inside the circle for SVSU.
GAME 2: SVSU 9 – Walsh 0 (5-Innings)
Kenzie Bromley got the scoring going for Saginaw Valley in game two after a fielder's choice situation scored Jenna Morse for the 1-0 lead. Kimble followed that up with a single to center field that scored Sherman and the Cardinals held a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
Savage scored in the second on a groundout to widen the gap to 3-0. Later in the inning, Kimble singled to shortstop to score Pnacek and Evelynn Rybicki scored on a throwing error to push the margin to 5-0 nothing.
Three more runs were added in the fourth after Bromley doubled to left field to score Sherman and Pnacek. Savage walked with the bases loaded for another run and the fourth ended with an 8-0 lead for the Cardinals.
Bromley added another with a double through the left side to score Faith Maloney and a quick bottom-half inning ended the game early with another SVSU win.
Sherman was 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in game two. Pnacek and Savage also batted 1.000 each going 2-for-2 during the nightcap. Pnacek scored two runs while Savage had a run and an RBI. Kimble also had two hits on her four at-bats while bringing home two runners. Bromley was 2-for-4 with a team-high four RBI to her credit. Kimble (W, 2-0) pitched a complete game for SVSU. She finished with four strikeouts and earned a shutout victory to remain unbeaten in the circle.
UP NEXT: The Cardinals continue their Spring Break trip with two games tomorrow (March 4). The first is against Wheeling at 10:00 a.m. Game two against Assumption will follow at 12:15 p.m.
