CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team was eliminated from the NCAA Division II Softball Championship after a 2-1 loss to Pace in 10 innings on Saturday night. The Cardinals (49-15) took an early 1-0 lead, but couldn't capitalize on their additional scoring chances.
Aalana Kimble (L, 20-7) had a great performance in the circle for SVSU as she pitched the full 9.2 innings while surrendering six hits and two runs. Kimble struck out five Pace hitters on the evening.
Kimble reached base to lead things off the Cardinals in the first inning after fighting for a walk. Ella Reifschneider (2-for-3) then singled up the middle to move Kimble to second and put two on with no outs. Olivia Elliott earned a base on balls to load things up for Mya Purdy. Purdy hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Kimble, and SVSU jumped out in front 1-0.
The Pacers knotted things up in the fourth inning after a single and an error by Saginaw Valley gave Pace two baserunners. Mikayla Hughes then singled down the first-base line to score Brianna Shea, and the score was tied 1-1.
Kate Pnacek walked and reached second on a wild pitch in the fifth inning, but couldn't advance further. She would make it to second again in the seventh after a single to left field and a ground out, but was again stranded there.
Reifschneider reached scoring position in the eighth after walking to lead off the inning. She stole third with two outs, but was stranded after a lineout to left field. Reifschneider reached base again in the 10th with an infield single, but couldn't advance.
The game ended in the bottom of the 10th with two singles up the middle, the second of which scored the walk off run in heartbreaking fashion.
Reifschneider's single in the first inning tied the team single-season record for hits, while Natalie Savage singled to right field in the second to break it at 510. The Cardinals finished the game with 513 team hits this season. Emma Helvie and Savage finished the game with one hit. Purdy had the lone RBI.
SEASON WRAP-UP: The SVSU softball team completed a historic season with several team records broken and championships claimed. The Cardinals set new single-season records in runs (392), hits (513), and RBI (349). SVSU won its first outright GLIAC regular season championship as well as its fourth-straight GLIAC tournament title. Saginaw Valley State advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional for the fourth consecutive year and made it to the NCAA D2 championship for just the second time in program history (last was 2011).
Ryan Schalk and the Cardinal coaching staff were named the NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year. Schalk himself was also the GLIAC Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. Macy Irelan and Kimble earned NFCA All-America Third-Team, and became the only Cardinal duo to earn All-America in the same season. Irelan was also the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year and was the first SVSU pitcher to throw two no-hitters in the same season. Elliott and Reifschneider made the D2CCA All-Midwest Region list, and a total of nine Cardinals were named All-GLIAC this season.
