April 26, 2008

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst sophomore pitcher Carrina Crow threw a complete game shutout as the softball team defeated Saginaw Valley State 1-0 Saturday to clinch a spot in the GLIAC Tournament. The Lakers lost game two 5-3 in a contest that featured five home runs.

Mercyhurst went 7-13 in the GLIAC and will finish as either the No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the eight-team GLIAC Tournament beginning Friday, May 2. The Lakers have battled with Gannon, Findlay and Hillsdale for the final two playoff spots down the stretch and Crow's outing secured one of those spots for the team.

Stacy Kraatz doubled in the top of the first inning to put runners on second and third for Saginaw Valley State but Crow came up with one of her five strikeouts on the afternoon to get out of the jam. She then retired the next seven Cardinal batters in order.

Meanwhile, Mercyhurst scratched out a run in the third that would end up as the game-winner. Elizabeth Maier opened the frame with an infield single and moved to second on Danielle Zubek's sacrifice bunt. Annie Dragolich followed with a sac bunt of her own, but when Saginaw third baseman Cassidy Baker wheeled and threw to first, none of her teammates were covering and the throw sailed into rightfield, allowing Maier to score.

Saginaw opened the fourth inning with a single but could not move the runner past second and the Cardinals got a two-out single and stolen base from Marsha Beaubien in the fifth, but Crow got Angela Kaiser to foul out to the catcher.

In the sixth, Saginaw's Nicole Fick doubled to start the inning before Kraatz popped out to short. Nicole Laakso reached on a fielder's choice when Crow tried to get Fick out at third on a comebacker, but was unsuccessful. But Crow came up big in that spot, getting a pop out to first and a strike out to end the threat.

Saginaw opened the seventh with another base hit but three consecutive fly outs ended the game. Mercyhurst was outhit 6-3 in game one as Kraatz struck out eight over six innings and allowed just one unearned run.

The bats came alive in game two as Saginaw hit three homers and Mercyhurst added two. The Cardinals scored one in the first but Mercyhurst tied it in the second on a Michelle Schmitz RBI single that pushed Megan Houston across, who had singled to open the inning.

Saginaw answered back with two homers in the third, one a two-run blast, and the Cardinals led off the fifth with another home run to make it 5-1. Mercyhurst's Danielle Zubek hit a solo homer in the fifth and Schmitz homered to lead off the seventh but the Lakers failed to put together any more runs.

Schmitz led Mercyhurst offensively by going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Saginaw outhit the Lakers 7-6 and Jade Fulton picked up the victory, going the final 4 1/3 innings for the Cardinals.

Saginaw Valley is now 30-14 on the year and 14-6 in GLIAC play. Mercyhurst moves to 22-28 on the season and both teams will compete in the GLIAC Tournament in Midland, Mich. Friday and Saturday.