MIDLAND, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team split a doubleheader with the Northwood University Timberwolves on Saturday (May 1) at Dow Diamond. The Cardinals pulled-out a 5-2 victory in extra innings in the opener before losing in the nightcap, 6-2. The split moves SVSU to 19-21 overall on the season and 15-15 in the GLIAC, while Northwood is now 23-25 overall and 13-19 in GLIAC play.
Game One
SVSU jumped out front in the top of the third inning, as Matt Hunt (Howell, Mich./Concordia University) scored Josh Peterson (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek HS) on a single up the middle. Northwood would respond with two runs in its half of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.
The Cardinals would knot things up in the top of sixth, as Charlie Thomas (Northville, Mich.) took the first pitch over the right center field wall for his sixth round-tripper of the season.
The bats would go cold for both teams, until the top of the eleventh inning, when Eric Burt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) knocked-in Hunt on a sacrifice fly, which would prove to be the game-winning run. The Cardinals would go on to score another pair of runs in the inning, and would close-out for the 5-2 victory.
Craig Engerer (Freeland, Mich.) picked-up his second career victory in relief, working three scoreless innings for the Cardinals.
Game Two
SVSU's only runs came in the first two innings in the nightcap, as Ryan Webber (Clio, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) ripped an RBI single, which scored Peterson in the first. In the second, a double single by Ryan Ermers (Sterling Heights, Mich.) score Dustin Mayner (Gaines, Mich./Linden HS), who doubled to left center.
Northwood scored six runs in the first four innings total, and would hold the Cardinals scoreless for the rest of the contest, winning by a 6-2 count.
Kevin Kerner took the loss for the Cardinals, working three innings while giving up four runs.
The two teams will battle again tomorrow for a single, nine inning cotest at Northwood University. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm.
Northwood is currently tied with Tiffin University for the final spot in the 2010 GLIAC Baseball Tournament. Both teams are at .500 in GLIAC play, as both teams have one conference game left to play. SVSU won the season series against the Dragons, 3-2.