TAMPA, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team opened its 2014 season with a game at the University of Tampa, the 2013 Division II National Champions. After keeping things close through the first couple of innings, the home and top-ranked team in the nation broke things open for a 15-6 victory to improve to 12-1 on the season.
The Spartans grabbed a quick 1-0 lead after scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. UT would plate nine more runs in the bottom of the third to extend the lead out to 10-0.
After Spartan ace Trey Oest had retired the Cardinals' first nine batters, sophomore Dylin Eschenburg broke-up the perfect game in the top of the fourth inning with a single up the middle. Senior Michael Craig followed with a looping single into left field to give SVSU runners at first and second. Sophomore Tyler Schwanz then ripped the first pitch he saw into left field to put the Cards on the board as he scored Eschenburg, making the score 10-1.
Eschenburg would lead the sixth off with a double to left-center and would move to third on a grounder to short by Schwanz. The shortstop would throw it by the UT first baseman, scoring Eschenburg to make the score 15-2.
Junior Brad Schalk would start things off in the seventh with a single up the middle. After a strikeout, Richard Guglielmi would knock one through the left side. Freshman Connor Foley would then lay down a bunt single just past the pitcher to load the bases with one out. It was Foley's first collegiate hit. Eschenburg knocked Schalk in with his third hit of the afternoon, an infield single to make the score 15-3. Another Schwanz single to left field would give SVSU another pair of runs, as Guglielmi and Foley scored to make it 15-5.
Saginaw Valley scored another run in the top of the ninth, as pinch-runner Derek Darling was plated on a Craig groundout. That was all for the game's scoring, as Tampa would close-out for the nine run victory.
Eschenburg finished the game with three hits for the Cardinals and an RBI while Schwanz had a pair of hits and three RBIs. Guglielmi and Foley each added two hits as well for SVSU, which falls to 0-1 overall on the season.
Sophomore Shane Cochran took the loss on the mound, working 2.0 innings while giving up five runs.
The Cardinals are off tomorrow and return to action on Sunday (Mar. 2) with a doubleheader against Felician College (N.J.). First pitch for game number one is set for 10:00 am at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla.
