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Printer-Friendly ModeLady Cardinals drop four games over weekend, struggle with keeping lead
April 17, 2006 —
On the road for the first time since mid-March, the SVSU softball team dropped all four of its games on Thursday and Saturday.
The Lady Cardinals were beat 1-0 and 6-4 by Wayne State on Saturday and lost 7-5 and 4-2 to Hillsdale on Thursday.
Wayne State senior Meghan Misiak threw a one-hitter in Game 1, giving up the lone hit to freshman Stacy Kraatz in a controversy-riddled sixth inning.
With two outs, Kraatz singled through the right side, and freshman Nicole Fick walked. That brought up freshman Jessica Anhel, who hit the ball to right. According to coach Sabrina Lane, sophomore rightfielder Laura Guzman dove for the ball and did not catch it, but it was ruled an out.
"I had the umpire come up to me after the game and apologize for the call," Lane said.
While there was no telling for sure whether Kraatz or Fick would have scored, Lane said the hit would have plated both.
Kraatz was the losing pitcher for SVSU, pitching all six innings, giving up four hits and the lone Warriors run. She struck out six and walked one as her record dropped to 5-7 on the season.
Wayne State's lone run came in the first inning off a single by sophomore Sarah Berry.
"We definitely need to hit more, but we played tough defense," Lane said.
The two teams traded the lead back and forth in Game 2, as SVSU had a 2-0 lead in the third inning but lost it in the top of the fourth off a three-run home run by sophomore Lindsey Perry. The homer came off Lady Cardinals pitched Lorelea Rice, starting her first game since spring break.
Lane said she started Rice, who came in with a 1.80 ERA, because of her ability to throw the low ball. Lane explained that Wayne State is a good hitting team but has problems hitting the ball low, so starting Rice made sense.
Senior Karen Ray relieved Rice after that and allowed the Warriors to score again in sixth to take a 4-2 lead into the seventh.
Kraatz took control of the game from there, belting her team-leading sixth home run, a two-run shot that scored Rice in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.
Ray was unable to keep the game tied, though, as junior Sarah Kish hit an RBI double in the top of the eighth and scored one batter later after an error by the shortstop, Fick.
SVSU was able to get runners on second and third in the bottom of the eighth before Kraatz grounded out.
The Lady Cardinals fared much better at the plate in Game 2, collecting eight hits and five walks. Rice led the way, going 2-for-5 with two runs, while sophomore Lindsay Noren and junior Sara Seronko each went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Warriors junior Sarah Ytsma was effective on the mound, pitching eight innings, giving up three runs, one of which was earned. She was relieved briefly in the seventh by Misiak, who gave up Kraatz' home run and walked two batters before Ytsma went back to the mound.
Wayne State improved to 12-2 in the GLIAC with the sweep, keeping them in first place in the conference. With the losses to the Warriors and Hillsdale two days earlier, SVSU dropped to 5-7 in league play, leaving them in seventh place.
SVSU wasted a strong offensive output from juniors Courtney Gonyea and Seronko in losing Game 1 to the Chargers. Gonyea, who entered the game batting .179 with two RBIs, went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run. Seronko, meanwhile, went 1-for-2 and had two RBIs after coming in with a .132 average with four RBIs.
Seronko collected both of her RBIs and Gonyea had one in a three-run second inning for the Lady Cardinals. Gonyea plated senior Jamie Seaman on a double, and Seronko scored two more with a single. SVSU found itself up 3-2 after its half of the inning, but Hillsdale charged back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good, 4-3.
Gonyea hit a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fifth to bring SVSU within one at 6-5, but senior Lindsay Ferrari lined out to end the inning.
The Lady Cardinals were able to get runners to second and third with one out in the top of the seventh and down 7-5, but Gonyea struck out and Ferrari grounded out to end the game.
Kraatz took the loss for SVSU, pitching four innings and giving up six runs, four earned. Noren came on in relief and allowed a run in the bottom of the sixth.
The Lady Cardinals suffered another late-inning loss in Game 2, allowing Hillsdale to score twice in the top of the seventh.
Ray took the loss, pitching 6 1/3 innings before giving up a second two-run home run to freshman Brittany Sevey in the top of the seventh. Rice relieved her, preventing any further damage.
Freshman Kayle Stevenson allowed six hits and the two runs in six innings of work, striking out five and walking one. Sophomre Aimee Genter picked up her first save of the season in pitching a perfect seventh inning.
Kraatz, hitting out of the leadoff spot, went 2-for-4, while senior Tabitha Greenwood went 2-for-3. Both Anhel and Noren went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Any kind of momentum the Lady Cardinals could have gotten out of the weekend would have been key for tomorrow's doubleheader at Northwood. The Timberwolves bring in a 9-3 GLIAC record, but were swept by Wayne State on Friday.
"We know we're going to see Lisa Shepard in the first game," Lane said of Northwood's best pitcher, who as of press time had a 15-3 record with a 1.04 ERA. "We need to squeak out an early run off of her and make (Northwood) come back."
Following the contest in Midland, the Lady Cardinals travel to Pennsylvania for a weekend series against Gannon and Mercyhurst.