WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The 14th-ranked Saginaw Valley State University softball team began its Spring Break trip to Florida with a sweep of Palm Beach Atlantic on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals (6-2) recorded two shutout wins over the Sailfish (3-11) with a 5-0 win in game one and a 2-0 decision in game two.
Aalana Kimble (Kentwood, Mich. / East Kentwood HS) highlighted the afternoon in game two as she recorded her first career no-hitter, falling short of a perfect game with one walk, one hit by pitch, and one error, and striking out seven batters. Kimble also led the way offensively in the win, with three hits, a double, and an RBI.
GAME 1: SVSU 5 – Palm Beach Atlantic 0
The Cardinals took the lead with three runs in the 2nd-inning of game one after Kenzie Bromley (Petoskey, Mich. / Petoskey HS) doubled to left field to score Emma Bolding (Greenfield, Ind. / Eastern Hancock HS) to put the first run on the board.
Ella Schneider (Southfield, Mich. / Berkley HS) followed with a triple to deep center field to bring Bromley across the plate and double the SVSU lead. Kate Pnacek (Coleman, Mich. / Coleman HS) then finished the trifecta with a single to center that scored Schneider and gave the Cardinals the 3-run advantage after two innings.
The final two runs came in the sixth inning when Emma Helvie (Markle, Ind. / Huntington North HS) hit a two-run home run to left field that brought Ella Reifschneider (Hudsonville, Mich. / Hudsonville HS) in from third and put the score at 5-0.
Palm Beach Atlantic threatened in the bottom of the seventh, reaching third base with two outs, but the Cardinal defense recorded a ground out to seal the shutout victory.
Helvie led the SVSU bats in the first game, going 2-for-3 with her first home run of the season. Olivia Elliott (Baroda, Mich. / Berrien Springs HS), Bromley, Schneider, and Pnacek had a hit for the Cardinals in the contest.
Macy Irelan (W, 2-1) got the start in the circle for SVSU. She went the full 7.0 innings and surrendered six hits, no runs, and sat down seven batters on strikes to earn her second shutout win of the season.
GAME 2: SVSU 2 – Palm Beach Atlantic 0
Schneider got the scoring going in game two with a single up the middle that scored Emily Beckas (Troy, Mich. / Avondale HS), after she singled to lead off the frame.
Beckas threatened again in the fourth when she doubled to lead off the inning and made it to third, but was stranded before she could capitalize a second time.
The final run of the game was tallied off a two-out single down the left field line by Kimble that scored Pnacek to give the Cardinals the insurance run with the home half of the inning to play.
Kimble (W, 4-0) remained unbeaten in the circle as she earned her second shutout win of the season. It was also the second time she struck out seven batters in 2026. Offensively, she has recorded three hits in a game twice this year.
Bromley and Schneider recorded a hit to be the only two Cardinal players with a base hit in both games. Natalie Savage (Howell, Mich. / Howell HS) and Beckas also recorded hits in the game-two win.
UP NEXT: SVSU will continue its Spring Break trip in Florida with a doubleheader at Rollins Tomorrow, March 2. Game one against the Tars is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. (ET).