KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team once again managed to take the first game of the day but a comeback effort in game two fell short today (Mar. 8). SVSU defeated Quincy 7-1 in the opener before falling to Indianapolis in their second game by a score of 5-4.

The Cardinals wasted little time getting the offense going in their opening game on day two of the Rebel Spring Games, posting three runs in the opening frame. That would give starting pitcher Kari Bowlby (Elkhart, Ind./Central HS) (1-0) all the run support she would need in the Cardinals 7-1 victory over regional opponent Quincy University. Bowlby threw 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits, while striking out five batters.

Angela Kaiser (Waterford, Mich. / Our Lady of the Lakes HS) singled to lead off the game and advanced to second on a Marsha Beaubien (Alpena, Mich.) single. Both runner would move up when clean-up hitter Stacy Kraatz (Howell, Mich./Hartland HS) was hit by pitch. Kaiser would later score on a Jessica Anhel (Oxford, Mich.) sacrifice bunt. Vanessa Briggs (Freeland, Mich.) would drive Beaubein home when she lined a single up the middle. A Jillian Peterson (Freeland, Mich.) deep fly ball to left field to bring Kraatz across for the third and final run of the first inning.

SVSU would add another run in the third inning when Beaubien led of the inning with a double to left field. Later in the inning Anhel would double to left center to drive bring her in. The Cardinals would take advantage of two errors in the fifth inning to go up by a score of 5-1.

Saginaw Valley would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Ashley Jordan (Freeland, Mich.) doubled home Ashley Coffin (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson HS) after Coffin singled earlier in the inning.

Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich.) (1-1) took the mound for the Cardinals in game two throwing six inning allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits while striking out seven Greyhounds.

Saginaw Valley fell behind 3-0 in the first and wouldn’t be able to strike back until the fourth inning when Fick laced a two out single to center field, Jordan would then reach on an error and both Cardinals would come in to score when Coffin reached on a throwing error that allowed her to advance to third base. Kaiser would then double to right field to score Coffin to tie the score at 3-3. The Cardinal would briefly take the lead in the fifth when Kraatz was hit by pitch and Peterson drilled a single up the middle to score her and give SVSU a 4-3 advantage. Indianapolis would answer with two runs in the bottom of the frame to go on top by the final of 5-4.

Saginaw Valley is now 2-2 on the season and will continue play on Monday (Mar. 9) against Palm Beach Atlantic and Southern Indiana.