Softball Earns Doubleheader Split With Saginaw Valley

OVERVIEW – SAGINAW VALLEY

SCORES: Saginaw Valley State Cardinals 10, Northwood Timberwolves 5/Northwood 5, Saginaw Valley 4

RECORDS: Northwood 24-20-1, 14-12 GLIAC/Saginaw Valley 20-20, 10-14 GLIAC

LOCATION: Fisher Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood and Saginaw Valley split a doubleheader Monday afternoon (April 22), with the Cardinals taking game one 10-5 before the Timberwolves took game two 5-4.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Saginaw Valley got off to a strong start in the opening inning, plating three runs for the early lead.
• The Cardinals made it 4-0 in the second inning.
• Northwood made a comeback starting in the bottom of the second – Lauren Castellon got the Timberwolves on the board with a double to score Grace Dutoi.
• Tara Gross cut the lead to two with a sacrifice fly to score Chase Schultz.
• In the third inning, Northwood tied the game on a two-run single by Karli Godlewski.
• The Cardinals used their power over the remainder of the game to earn the win. SVSU hit a two-run homer in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth to push their lead to 7-4.
• Northwood got one back in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI fielder's choice by Abby Joseph.
• SVSU closed out the win in the seventh with three runs, all of which came on a pair of home runs.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 5/10/1, Saginaw Valley: 10/7/0
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 10, Saginaw Valley: 3
• Winning Pitcher – Elayne Young (1-1) 2 IP, 2 H, R, BB
• Losing Pitcher – Taylor Wright (6-2): 4 IP, 3 H, 6 R (5 ER), 4 BB, 2 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Godlewski: 2-4, 2 RBI
• Casteloon: 2-4, RBI
• Torriya Gray-Baker: 2-4

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• It was Northwood who took the early lead in the bottom of the second inning, starting with a run-scoring double by Schultz.
• Castellon then made it a 3-0 game with a two-run homer, her first of the season, in the bottom of the second.
• SVSU came back in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs to take the lead 4-3.
• Northwood responded right away in the bottom of the fourth, taking the lead back thanks to an RBI single by Schultz and a run scored on an error.
• In the top of the fifth, Wright, who took the loss in game one, made her first relief appearance of the season. She held the Cardinals off the board in the final three innings for her first save of the season and the second of her career.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 5/5/0, Saginaw Valley: 4/11/1
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 5, Saginaw Valley: 6
• Winning Pitcher – Shayna Frank (8-8): 4 IP, 9 H, 4 R, BB, 5 K
• Losing Pitcher – Julia Mundy (5-6); 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 5 K
• Save – Taylor Wright (1): 3 IP, 2 H, 2 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Schultz: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI
• Castlellon: 1-2, HR, 2 RBI
• Schultz: 2-3, R
• Gray-Baker: 2-3, 2B

UP NEXT

• Northwood will host Grand Valley State in the Timberwolves home finale Friday afternoon (April 26). First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.