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Printer-Friendly ModeLady Cardinals break split streak, sweep Findlay
Ray, Kraatz set tone on the mound as SVSU wins three of four over weekend, moves into fourth in GLIAC
April 10, 2006 —
After splitting its last five doubleheaders, the SVSU softball team finally won both games of Sunday's series at home against Findlay.
Freshman Stacy Kraatz and senior Karen Ray combined for two complete games and held the Oilers to just three runs as SVSU won the first game 4-1 and were victorious 7-2 in Game 2.
In the five previous doubleheaders, SVSU had won the second game each time.
"We just needed to win that first game," said coach Sabrina Lane. "We already know we can win the second game, but we needed to prove to ourselves that we could win both."
Kraatz went the distance for the second day in a row, allowing four hits and the lone Oilers run. She struck out eight while walking none in improving her record to 5-5. Ray followed Kraatz' lead in Game 2, striking out 13 batters but allowing six walks in the win. With a complete game victory against Ashland the day before, Ray improved her record to 6-11.
The wins also put SVSU at 5-3 in GLIAC play, good for fourth place in the conference.
The Lady Cardinals capitalized on two Findlay errors in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Senior Monica Sims scored after Kraatz hit into a botched fielder's choice, and junior Lorelea Rice scored after an error at first base that allowed freshman Jessica Anhel to reach base.
SVSU pounded out 14 hits and drew six walks to take Game 2. The Lady Cardinals put up three runs in the top of the first, two more in the second, and one in the third and fourth to put the game away.
Rice and sophomore Lindsay Noren both went 3-for-4, while Anhel went 2-for-4 and senior Tabitha Greenwood went 2-for-3. Greenwood and Noren knocked in two runs, while Anhel scored twice.
"We are having better approaches, better at bats," Lane said of her team's offensive output. "We're getting on base more and doing the little things to get those runners home."
Ray gave up a run in the first and second innings, but settled down after that.
SVSU had a scary moment in the top of the fifth inning, when Sims was thrown out at home after a single by Anhel. Sims appeared to have injured her shoulder as she slid into catcher Jaccie Tufts, but Lane said the team's leadoff hitter would only end up with a "big bump on her head."
On Saturday, SVSU could muster only four hits in a 4-2 loss in Game 1 to Ashland before storming back to win Game 2, 8-2.
The Lady Cardinals had no answer for the Eagles' Jaime Williams, who went the distance and struck out 14. Kraatz gave up seven hits and three earned runs in the loss, striking out five.
Kraatz also went 1-for-2 from the plate, homering off of Williams in the bottom of the seventh and scoring the other SVSU run. Seniors Monica Sims and Tabitha Greenwood and freshman Jessica Anhel were the only other Lady Cardinals with hits.
In Game 2, SVSU used a four-run second inning and a four-run seventh after a protest by Ashland to split the doubleheader.
After sophomore Lindsay Noren knocked in Anhel in the top of the second, SVSU loaded the bases for Sims, who hit a bases-clearing double.
The Eagles tried protesting the game after becoming fed up with SVSU fans, but play started again and the Lady Cardinals outscored Ashland 4-1 from that point.
RBI singles by Noren and freshman Nicole Fick in the seventh put SVSU up 6-2, and freshman Marsha Beaubien hit a two-out double that plated Fick and junior Courtney Gonyea to the put the game out of reach for the Eagles.
Ray struck out nine but allowed six hits and five walks in giving up the two Ashland runs. Eagles sophomore Jennifer Alderson went the distance, allowing nine hits in giving up the eight runs, all earned.
Sims went 2-for-5 and Noren went 2-for-4 to lead SVSU.
SVSU travels to Hillsdale on Thursday at 3 p.m. before playing at Wayne State, 6-2 in the GLIAC, on Saturday.
"It's always tough to go on the road," Lane said. "But I believe we can win that series if the team that played (Sunday) shows up. If that's the case, we'll be in great shape."