April 28, 2007

SAULT STE. MARIE - April Brandt, Nicole Dunford and Amber Kern all homered for the Lake Superior State softball team to lead the Lakers to a 9-5 victory over Saginaw Valley State and salvage a split during their season-ending twinbill played Saturday at Locey Field.

For Dunford, it was her eighth home run of the season, while Brandt hit her third. Kern, a freshman along with Dunford, smashed her first collegiate homer. The threesome combined to total five RBIs for the game.

LSSU (7-33 overall, 2-18 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) never trailed in the game. The Lakers built a 6-1 lead by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning and adding four more in the third.

Dunford and Erin Retherford were 2-for-4 at the plate, while Lacey Knoop was 2-for-3. Rachel Hall, Lisa Dahm and Ashley Yarrington had one hit each as the Lakers out-hit SVSU, 11-8.

Nicole Fick hit two solo home runs, and Jessica Anhel had a two-run homer for the Cardinals (23-16 overall, 9-9 GLIAC). SVSU scored two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to come back from a 4-2 deficit.

Dahm, who also went the distance on the mound in the first game, struck out five batters and walked four.

Fick was 3-for-4 and hit two home runs in Game 1. Dahm gave up four earned runs on 11 hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

Knoop, Brandt, Dunford, Dahm and Nikki Christensen had one hit each for LSSU.