Softball Drops Two At Home Vs. Saginaw Valley State

In the first of three home doubleheaders this week at Brookside Park, Ashland University's softball team lost both ends of Tuesday's (April 27) twinbill with Saginaw Valley State, 8-0 in five innings and 9-6 in eight innings.
 
The Eagles are 11-21 overall and 8-14 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while the Cardinals are 23-12, 12-10.
 
Saginaw Valley State opened the scoring in Game 1 with a run in the top of the first inning, then the Cardinals added three more runs in the top of the second and four more in the top of the third for an 8-0 advantage – which would end up as the final margin of victory.
 
Freshman pitcher Jillian Middleton (3-10) gave up 10 hits, eight runs and two walks and struck out two in five innings.
 
The Cardinals scored first in the second game as well, posting a run in the top of the second. Ashland, however, came up with the quick answer, thanks to a two-out RBI single from senior second baseman Emma Lawson, then a two-run double by sophomore pitcher Kayla Ruperto, in the bottom of the second.
 
In the bottom of the third, sophomore first baseman Cat Lohse, starting for the first time in more than two months due to injury, had an RBI single. Sophomore left fielder Kaitlyn Carney then stole home on an attempted squeeze to extend the AU lead to 5-1.
 
Saginaw Valley State cut its deficit in half in the top of the fourth, scoring twice. The Cardinals then took the lead in the top of the seventh with a three-spot. That set up the heroics in the bottom of the seventh from freshman designated player Hailey Krinn, whose two-out RBI double knotted the game at 6.
 
The Cardinals went ahead once again in the top of the eighth, scoring three times to go ahead 9-6 and eventually win by that score.
 
Lohse was 3-for-4 with an RBI, Lawson was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Ruperto drove in two runs. Sophomore pitcher Josie Duncan (4-6) allowed four hits and three runs (two earned) and struck out two and 1 2/3 innings of relief.
 
Ashland returns to Brookside on Friday (April 30) at 3:30 p.m. for a twinbill vs. Wayne State.