WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley
State baseball team has finished the Russ Matt Tournament here with
a 1-1 day against Assumption (Mass.) College, winning the first
game 14-7 and losing the second 9-4.
In the first game, the Cardinals poured on the offense scoring
three runs in the second inning to take an early advantage 3-1, and
then added one in the fourth, six in the sixth and four more in the
seventh.
With two outs, and a runner on second base, freshman Jason Potts
(Midland, Mich.) ripped a single up the middle that scored freshman
Mitch Frazier (Petersburg, Mich.) from second base in the top of
the third. Freshman Ryan Ermers (Utica, Mich.) reached on an error
by the Assumption second baseman, which left runners at first and
second for junior Josh Peterson (Midland, Mich.) who slugged a
double to left-center field knocking in two runs.
In the fourth inning, the Cardinals managed to get one run to
score off a single to left field by senior Kevin Schwedler
(Midland, Mich.), who drove junior Ryan Webber (Clio, Mich.) home
from second base.
In the sixth, Potts got the scoring frenzy started with a single
through the right side with one out. Ermers made it aboard after a
throwing error by Assumption’s second baseman. Peterson
nailed a single through the left side driving Potts home for the
first run of the inning, followed by junior Andy Ferraiuolo (Perry,
Mich.) clocking a single up the middle driving in Ermers. After
junior Charlie Thomas (Northville, Mich.) was hit by a pitch to
load the bases, junior Chase Coulter (Clio, Mich.) reached on a
fielder’s choice after Peterson was thrown out at the plate.
The bases still loaded with two outs, Webber reached on an error by
the Assumption shortstop, allowing two more runs to score. With
runners on second and third, Schwedler hit a single through the
right side driving in Webber and Coulter to round out the scoring
in the Cardinal sixth.
In the seventh, the bats picked right up after Potts drew a base
on balls with an Ermers double to left field. With runners on
second and third, Ferraiuolo reached on an error by
Assumption’s third baseman. With the bases juiced, Thomas
stepped to the plate a drove a single through the left side scoring
Ermers and Potts. Coulter reached on another error by
Assumption’s shortstop to load the bases once again for the
Cardinals as Webber stepped up to the plate to drive a single to
left center knocking in two runs to round out the scoring for SVSU
in Game 1.
On the mound for the win, junior Jon Tibaudo (Harper Woods, Mich.)
picked up the win going 5 innings, allowing four runs and striking
out six.
In Game 2 action, Assumption jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the
top of the first, but it didn’t last for long, as Webber
stepped to the plate with two runners on to hit a home run over the
left field fence giving the Cardinals the only lead they would have
in the game, 3-2. The Cardinals would add one more run in the sixth
when Webber singled down the left field line to drive in Ferraiuolo
for the Card’s final run of the ball game.
The win and loss gives the Cardinals a 3-9 record as they round
out the Russ Matt Tournament and prepare for league play, which is
scheduled to get underway on March 18 as SVSU travels to GLIAC foe
Tiffin University.