SVSU softball kicked off the season competing in the Rosemont Dome Tournament on Thursday and Friday.
The team played two games each day, winning over one team and falling to the other on both days, leaving SVSU at 2-2 to start the season.
Competition started on Thursday with SVSU taking on Upper Iowa University (UIU) and claiming a 2-1 victory.
Sophomore Emily Depew pitched the entire game, striking out six, walking one, and allowing just one run on eight hits.
While UIU started with a 1-0 lead in the second inning, that changed at the top of the sixth when sophomore Alyssa Muench hit a double, scoring junior Jackie Popko and tying the game.
Senior Julia Salisbury broke the tie later in the inning with a RBI single to center, giving SVSU a lead that UIU couldn’t take.
In Thursday’s second game, the Cardinals were shut out by Lewis University, falling 4-0.
Junior Jaclyn Groves pitched the first four innings and took the loss with two walks, one strike out and three runs on four hits.
Senior Julia Mundy pitched the last three innings, walking two, striking out one and allowing one run on three hits.
Lewis had a 3-0 lead by the third inning and had reached 4-0 by the fifth. The Flyers held this lead, giving the Cardinals their first loss of the season.
Friday started on a high note as the Cardinals claimed a 7-5 victory over Truman State University (TSU).
Muench pitched most of the game, allowing one run on three hits, striking out seven and walking one in the last four innings.
SVSU led in the first after Popko stole a run while freshman Sara Moos was at bat in a suicide squeeze play.
Despite this early advantage, TSU quickly gained a 4-1 lead after a run in the first and three more in the second.
After a double steal by junior Sarah Gersch and RBIs from Salisbury, senior Blasia Moyler and senior Meagan VerVaecke, the Cardinals led 5-4 in the third.
SVSU maintained this lead until a run by TSU in the sixth tied things up.
The Cardinals claimed the win in the seventh after RBIs from VerVaecke and sophomore Leah Denome.
In the team’s second game of the day, the Cardinals took on Winona State University (WSU) and ultimately lost 4-3.
Depew pitched the first six innings and took the loss after walking two, striking out five and allowing four unearned runs.
SVSU started with a 2-0 lead in the first after a double by Muench and a single by Salisbury.
A Cardinal error in the second allowed for a run by WSU, but a double by VerVaecke in the fourth helped SVSU maintain their lead.
Despite this, a Cardinal error allowed for two WSU runs in the fifth and this along with an RBI by the Warriors in the fourth ensured WSU’s win.
Next up the team will travel to Florida on March 6 to participate in week-long competition at The Spring Games.
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