WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team dropped an 11-10 decision to the University of Charleston (W.Va.) Golden Eagles on Thursday afternoon (Mar. 11). The Cardinals fall to 3-6 overall on the season with the loss.
Charleston got on the board first, scoring a run in the bottom of the first and third innings, respectively, to take a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals would respond in the top of the fourth inning, as Kevin Dore (Kawkawlin, Mich.) tripled to center field, scoring Charlie Thomas (Northville, Mich.), Dustin Mayner (Linden, Mich.) and Matt Hunt (Howell, Mich./Concordia University), who all reached base via walks to give SVSU the 3-2 advantage.
After a Golden Eagle home run in the bottom of the fourth knotted the score at 3-3, strong rain would force the contest into a delay for two hours and 45 minutes.
As play resumed, the Eagles would plate a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a single run lead, which would be quickly matched by the Cardinals, as a Kyle O'Boyle (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek HS) sacrifice fly scored Dore from third base to tie the game at four.
Charleston would score two runs in its half of the sixth to take a 6-4 advantage. The Cardinals, however, would respond with a huge inning in the top of the seventh. Josh Peterson (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek HS) got things going with a single throught the left side. Thomas would double down the left field line, giving the Cards runners on second and third with nobody out. Eric Burt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) would pinch run for Thomas, and join Peterson in scoring on a double by Chase Coulter (Clio, Mich./Powers Catholic HS), which made the score 6-6 with nobody out.
A Mayner single up the middle would give Saginaw runners on the corners, and would be followed by a three-run home run over the left center field fence by Hunt, giving the Cardinals a three run cushion. A Ryan Ermers (Sterling Heights, Mich./Henry Ford II HS) double, coupled with a single by Ryan Webber (Clio, Mich./Powers Catholic HS), would give SVSU a 10-6 lead heading into the last of the seventh inning.
Charleston would respond, however, and score five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to walk-off with the 11-10 victory.
The second game was cancelled due to heavy rains in the Winter Haven area.
Hunt had two hits in the contest, including a home run and three RBI's. Dore also had a pair of hits, with a triple and three RBI's. Ermers and Peterson both added two hits as well, with Ermers posting a double. Thomas had a double in the game, while Coulter, Mayner and Webber all added singles, with Coulter driving-in two Cardinal runners and Webber one.
SVSU is back in action tomorrow (Mar. 12), as they take-on Seton Hill in a single, nine-inning contest that is slated to begin at 2:30 pm.