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Printer-Friendly ModeCards split weekend series
Cards take one of two against Grand Valley on Saturday, and against Ferris on Sunday
April 7, 2008 —
The Cardinal softball team split this weekend's double headers against Grand Valley State and Ferris State, each by winning the first game and then dropping the second game.
Against Grand Valley on Saturday, the Cardinals rallied from an early deficit before handing the Lakers their worst loss of the season by the score of 11-3. For the second weekend in a row, the Cardinals finished off an opponent before the full seven innings due to the mercy rule coming into play.
Freshman pitcher Jade Fulton picked up her second loss of the season despite pitching six innings, allowing only five hits and two runs.
The first game against Ferris State saw the Cardinals rally from a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning and pick up the win by a final score of 3-2.
The Cardinals trailed for much of the game as the Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Junior pitcher Stacy Kraatz pitched out of a jam in the second, as the Bulldogs had runners on first and second with no outs.
The Cards came back in the bottom of the second when junior second baseman Vanessa Briggs drove in a run to tie the game.
The Bulldogs responded the next inning with a home run to take a 2-1 lead that would last them all the way up to the bottom of the seventh inning.
Fick got things going with a double. Kraatz followed with a single that advanced Fick to third. An error by the Bulldogs allowed Fick to score and tie the game.
Later in the inning, Kraatz was caught too far off third base and was caught in a rundown. Stuart reached base on an error which left things up to sophomore catcher Nikki Bigelow, who pinch hit and drove in the winning run, capping off the comeback.
The second game saw the Bulldogs rally to take the game to extra innings where they would eventually beat the Cardinals by the score of 4-3.
The Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead from a Kraatz home run in the top of the first.
Briggs led off the second with a double. The Cardinals took advantage of a throwing error by Ferris State that allowed Briggs to score and take a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals then took a 3-0 lead on a Kraatz RBI that scored Beaubien.
In the bottom of the third, the Bulldogs loaded the bases and had no outs courtesy of two Cardinal errors. The Cardinals managed to escape the inning allowing only one run.
In the bottom of the fifth, a sacrifice fly by the Bulldogs scored another run which cut the Cardinal lead to 3-2.
An error in the bottom of the sixth by the Cardinals and a Bulldog double scored the tying run which sent the game to extra innings.
In the eighth the Bulldogs won the game with an RBI single to center.
With the weekend split, the Cardinals record goes to 19-9 overall, 5-3 in the GLIAC.
Upcoming schedule
April 8 vs Madonna Univ 3:30 p.m.
April 12 at Wayne State 1:00 p.m.
April 13 at Hillsdale 1:00 p.m.
April 16 vs Northwood 3:00 p.m.
April 19 vs Findlay 1:00 p.m.
April 20 vs Ashland 1:00 p.m.
April 16 vs Northwood 3:00 p.m.
April 20 vs Tiffin Univ 3:00 p.m.