SVSU 2, UIndy 1

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich.- A pair of two-out errors in the bottom of the seventh inning helped host Saginaw Valley State to a 2-1 win in the first game of the NCAA Super Regionals Friday at SVSU Athletic Complex.  The Hounds had a dropped popup and a errant throw combine to give SV both runs and the first win in the best-of-three series.

The game was tightly-contested throughout.  UIndy (34-19) had a runner on in the first inning, but the inning was retired on a strikeout-caught stealing double play.  The Hounds returned the favor to the Cards in the bottom of the frame, as Ashley Boxley gunned down a would-be base stealer.

Neither team would advance to third base until the bottom of the sixth when SVSU's Angela Kaiser placed a line drive on the right field line for a triple to open the inning.  A walk put runners at the corners before Megan Russell got a strikeout looking for the first out.  Another walk loaded the bases and SV seemed primed to get on the scoreboard first. 

An attempted suicide squeeze was thwarted when the Hounds pounced on the bunt and fired home for the forceout.  That left it up to Ashley Jordan who struck out swinging and the momentum clearly swung in UIndy's direction.

The seventh inning started with a line-drive single to left by Boxley.  She advanced all the way to third when Jenny Swanson's grounder was misplayed and UIndy had runners at the corners with none down, looking for its first lead.   Jessica Breeden delivered on an RBI groundout, scoring Boxley from third.  Carmen Martinez and Chrissy Stephens both singled to load the bases, but SVSU reliever Marsha Bowlby got the next two Greyhound batters to retire the side.

In the bottom of the frame, Russell got a quick out, then Jillian Peterson rapped a pinch-hit single for SVSU.   After a groundout put the runner at second with two down, UIndy appeared to have the game closed out when the next batter skied a popup on the left side of the infield.  The ball fell, however, and two runners were now in scoring position. 

Marsha Beaubien hit a sharp grounder up the middle that Russell got a glove on, redirecting it to Jamie Keltz at second.  Keltz fielded it cleanly, but her throw got past Cat Sampson at first base and both runners came around to score. 

Russell took the hard-luck loss for the Greyhounds, throwing 6.2 innings with 10 strikeouts and both unearned runs.  She squandered just five hits in dropping to 17-10 on the season.  Boxley led the UIndy offense, going 3-for-3 on the day with the run scored.

SVSU takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with the second game scheduled for noon tomorrow.  The third game of the set would immediately follow with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II World Series in Salem, Va.