CALEDONIA, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team swept Davenport for the second time this season. The Cardinals (27-11, 16-2 GLIAC) defeated the Panthers (11-29, 7-11 GLIAC) 1-0 in a tightly contested game one before a 12-0 win in five innings in game two.
GAME 1: SVSU 1 – Davenport 0
Davenport threatened first with a runner on third base with one out in the second inning, but SVSU was able to escape the inning to keep the game scoreless.
Both teams got runners in scoring position in the third, but the score remained tied at zero through the first three innings.
Olivia Elliott (Baroda, Mich. / Berrien Springs HS) led off the fourth with a single through the left side. Ella Reifschneider (Hudsonville, Mich. / Hudsonville HS) walked to put two on with no outs. An infield fly by Lillia Sherman (Millington, Mich. / Millington HS) moved the runners to second and third with one out. Jenna Morse (Bay City, Mich. / Bay City Central HS) singled on a bunt to score pinch runner Emily Schmeltz (Union, Ky. / Cooper HS) to break the tie and put the Cardinals up 1-0.
The Panthers had a runner reach third after a throwing error by SVSU, but a groundout and a strikeout preserved the 1-0 lead for the Cardinals, who held onto the lead through the remainder of the game.
Morse finished the game 1-for-2 with an RBI to lead SVSU in the win. Aalana Kimble (Kentwood, Mich. / East Kentwood HS), Mya Purdy (Chelsea, Mich. / Chelsea HS), Elliott, and Reifschneider had one hit in the game. Macy Irelan (Owoss, Mich. / Owosso HS) (W, 12-4) earned the win in the circle after going the full 7.0 innings. She allowed three hits, no runs, and struck out eight to earn her 12th win of the season.
GAME 2: SVSU 12 – Davenport 0 (5 Innings)
Kimble doubled to left-center to get on base at the start of game two. Elliott brought her home with a home run that put the Cardinals up 2-0 after one inning of play.
Reifschneider singled to right center, and Kate Pnacek (Coleman, Mich. / Coleman HS) doubled to left field to put Reifschneider on third. A wild pitch during the next at-bat scored Reifschneider, and the lead increased to 3-0.
Lauren Evans (Schoolcraft, Mich. / Schoolcraft HS) hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Pnacek home to widen the gap to 4-0.
Home runs by Kenzie Bromley (Petoskey, Mich. / Petoskey HS) and Ella Schneider (Southfield, Mich. / Berkley HS) added four more runs to the board. Kimble hit a single to center field later to bring Reifschneider across the plate for the fifth run of the inning, and the score sat at 9-0.
Emma Bolding (Greenfield, Ind. / Eastern Hancock HS) put the final three runs on the board with a home run in the bottom of the fourth that put the score where it would be through five, 12-0, and ended the game.
Kimble and Schneider recorded two hits to lead SVSU in that category. Bolding had a team-high three RBI, with Bromley, Schneider, and Elliott recording two RBI.
Kimble (W, 12-5) earned the win after allowing just one hit and striking out seven Panthers.
UP NEXT: SVSU softball will host Ferris State in a conference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 21, beginning at 3:00 p.m. (ET).