TIFFIN, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team avoided a series sweep on Sunday (Apr. 3), beating the Tiffin University Dragons (8-23, 5-10 GLIAC) by a score of 30-19 in a GLIAC contest. The Cardinals improve to 11-12 overall on the season with an 8-6 record in the GLIAC.
Tiffin got out to a fast start, leading 10-2 after three innings of play, with the Cardinals getting on the board first when Kevin Dore (Kawkawlin, Mich./Muskegon CC) scored on an error by the right fielder off the bat of Ryan Webber (Clio, Mich./Powers Catholic HS). Drew Woock (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) would follow with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Charlie Thomas (Northville, Mich.) from third.
SVSU would get four more runs in its half of the fourth inning. A Thomas single scored Josh Peterson (Midland, Mich../Bullock Creek HS) and Matt Hunt (Howell, Mich./Concordia University) for the first two runs. A single by Webber would follow, scoring Thomas and Dore.
The big inning for the Cardinals was the fifth, as Saginaw erupted for 14 runs in the frame, highlighted by a home run by Webber. SVSU would tack-on five runs in both the seventh and ninth innings, respectively, and finish with the 11-run victory.
Scott Horman (St. Louis, Mich.) picked-up the win in relief, working 3.0 innings in the contest.
Ryan Webber went 5-for-8 in the contest, hitting two home runs, a double, and driving-in a school record 11 runs to up his season total to 35. Dore had six hits in seven at-bats, including a double, four RBI's and scoring six runs. Mike VanAlst (Clio, Mich.) also had six hits in the game with a double and three runs scored. The six-hit games for Dore and VanAlst were also school records. Hunt had four hits with a double and three RBI's, while Chase Coulter (Clio, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) also recorded four base-knocks with two RBI's. Peterson and Thomas added three hits in the contest.
The Cardinals are back in action Tuesday (Apr. 6), as they travel to face Grand Valley State University in a doubleheader in Allendale, Mich.