UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team swept Northwood University today (Apr. 24) at Dow Diamond in Midland by scores of 4-2 and 7-5. The Cardinals improve to 20-18 overall and 16-10 in the conference, while the Timberwolves fall to 18-20 on the season and 8-18 in the GLIAC.
Game 1
The Cardinals were first on the scoreboard at Dow Diamond with three runs on three hits in the third inning.
The SVSU rally started with a two-out single off the bat of Brandon Schwanz (Novi, Mich./Henry Ford CC) followed by a walk from Andy Orr (Utica, Mich.). The next batter was Cam Wiechmann (Birch Run, Mich./Muskegon CC) who ripped a two RBI double to right center scoring both Schwanz and Orr to give SVSU the 2-0 edge.
On the next pitch, Chet LaFave (Charlotte, Mich./Olney Central College) capped the two-out rally with a single to center field to bring home Wiechmann and give the Cardinals a 3-0 advantage.
Northwood would battle back in the bottom half of the sixth inning as they pieced together a two-out rally of their own scoring twice to cut the SVSU lead to 3-2 heading into the final frame.
Saginaw Valley picked up an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Orr knocked a single up the middle for an RBI to bring home Perkovich, who reached on a throwing error by the Northwood catcher with two outs. The Perkovich unearned run gave SVSU the 4-2 lead as they went on to victory by the same score.
Sophomore starting pitcher Andrew Tidwell (Canton, Mich./Canton HS) picked up the win for the Cardinals in his first start of the season. Tidwell threw six strong innings allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out four batters. Justin Drzewicki (Bay City, Mich./Bay City Central HS) picked up his third save of the year as he came in with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to get the final out.
LaFave led the Cardinals offensively with two hits in the game one victory.
Game 2
Saginaw Valley wasted no time getting their offense going in game two as they scored one run in each of the first three innings.
The first run of the contest came off the bat of LaFave who singled back through the middle to score Schwanz, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.
The Cardinals would take a 2-0 advantage when Schwanz singled to left center plating Chris Perkovich (Canton, Mich./Canton HS), who reached on an error earlier in the inning.
In the third inning, Mike VanAlst (Clio, Mich.) tacked another run on the board for SVSU with two outs as he crushed a home run deep over the right field fence at Dow Diamond giving the boys in red and white a 3-0 advantage.
Northwood scratched their way back into the contest gaining momentum with one run in the third followed up with four runs in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead.
However, the Cardinals answered back with a four run inning of their own thanks in part to three Northwood errors in the top of the fifth to take the lead once again.
Perkovich brought home the first run of the inning as he reached on a throwing error to score Ryan Ermers (Sterling Heights, Mich./Henry Ford II HS), who also reached first base on a Timerwolves error.
Matt Hunt (Howell, Mich./Concordia University) followed with a high chopping single up the middle for an RBI which plated Brad Schalk (Sterling Heights, Mich./Bishop Foley HS) after he reached on an error by the shortstop.
Saginaw Valley pushed their final runs of the inning across as Cam Wiechmann drew a bases loaded walk to bring home Perkovich which was followed up by a wild pitch which scored Hunt to give SVSU the 7-5 edge.
Mike Schaaf (Saginaw, Mich./Arthur Hill HS) picked up the win in relief for the Cardinals as he threw 3 1/3 innings giving up four hits while striking out four batters. The win moves Schaaf to 2-2 on the season.
Hunt and Schwanz posted two hits a piece in the 7-5 victory.
The sweep moved the Cardinals to 16-10 and in fourth place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with two weeks of competition remaining.
Saginaw Valley will be back in action this weekend when they travel to Lake Erie for a four-game weekend series.