CANTON, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team picked up a split at Malone University today (April 13) to start off their weekend road series in Canton. The series was scheduled to be at home but weather moved it to Ohio.
Saginaw Valley, while being on the road, was the home team on the scoreboard because the location was moved to Malone.
Game One - Malone 6, SVSU 4 - Box Score
The contest remained scoreless until the fourth inning when Malone (12-19, 5-13 GLIAC) manufactured a pair of runs for the 2-0 edge.
Kyle O'Boyle (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek) put the Cardinals (10-14, 8-6 GLIAC) on the scoreboard in the fifth after connecting on a solo home run, the 18th homer of his college career at SVSU.
After the Pioneers added a run in the sixth, Saginaw Valley managed to take the 4-3 lead with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Ryan Hotmer (Walbridge, Ohio / Lake) drove home Michael Craig (Milan, Mich.) with a single which was followed by a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Andy Orr (Utica, Mich.) to tie up the contest, 3-3.
The Cardinals took the slight 4-3 advantage as Chris Perkovich (Canton, Mich.) laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to bring home Ryan Hotmer for the go-ahead run.
However, the Saginaw Valley bullpen was unable to close out the contest in the top half of the seventh as Malone scored three runs and went on to the 6-4 victory.
Game Two - SVSU 5, Malone 1 - Box Score
After having his 13-game hit streak snapped in the opener, Andy Orr responded early in game two with an RBI single to right center to score Brad Schalk (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Bishop Foley) for the 1-0 lead in the second.
Orr kept his hot bat going in the fourth inning as he belted his fourth career home run at Saginaw Valley to lead off the inning giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.
Dylin Eschenburg (Shelby Township, Mich. / Eisenhower) extended the SVSU lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as he stole third base and advanced home on a throwing error by the catcher.
Two batters later, Ryan Hotmer hit a 2-run homer to right field scoring Brad Schalk to give SVSU a 5-1 lead. The home run was the second of Hotmer's first season at SVSU.
Sophomore starting pitcher Scott Sency (Medina, Ohio) picked up his first career victory on the mound. Sency threw 6.2 inning with six strikeouts and allowing just the one earned run in the second inning on just four hits.
Freshman Dylan Wisniewski (Southgate, Mich. / Riverview Community) came in to get the final out and record his first save.
The Cardinals will return to action tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. for a single, nine inning contest at Malone.