Saginaw Valley State's Tori Taylor (11) scores the winning run Friday.
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UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – A perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Saginaw Valley State in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Cardinals a 1-0 walk-off victory over Northern Kentucky University in the first round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament on Friday.
Kailah Happ's squeeze bunt with one out drove in pinch-runner Tori Taylor with the only run of the game. Kaitlyn Kenyon started the winning rally with an infield single and was replaced by Taylor.
After Monica Gathright fouled out, a throwing error by
Jamie Raabe on Kalie Burdick's grounder allowed Taylor to advance to third base. Happ then ended the game with a perfect squeeze bunt.
Pitcher Jade Fulton recorded the shutout and finished with 10 strikeouts for Saginaw Valley State, which improved to 36-16. Fulton allowed just two hits and did not walk a batter.
The Cardinals defeated NKU (29-16) for the second time this season to advance to Saturday's winner's bracket.
NKU pitcher
April Ehlers allowed just three hits and struck out four batters.
Ashley Gates and
Natalie Papi had hits for the Norse, who have not scored a run during the past three games.
NKU scored four times in the sixth inning of a 4-0 win against Bellarmine in the first round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, but suffered an 8-0 loss to Lewis and a 2-0 setback against Quincy in the following two games.
NKU will meet the loser of the Ashland/Indianapolis game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination contest. The winner of that game will play at 4 p.m. in another elimination contest.
The championship round is scheduled for Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
