CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team earned a split in its second day of competition in the Clearwater Invitational. Playing Felician College (N.J.), the Cardinals lost the opener by a score of 6-4. SVSU would rebound in the second game, using a strong performance on the mound from lefty Andrew Geese and a three-hit game from Tyler Schwanz to take the nightcap against the Golden Falcons after a 6-1 victory.
Game One
SV fell behind early, as Felician pushed three runs across the plate in the bottom of the third inning to grab the 3-0 lead.
The ensuing half inning would see the Cardinals tie the score at 3-3. With the bases loaded, freshman David Arnold was hit by a pitch that scored junior Austin Nogiec, who reached base on an error. Sophomore Richard Guglielmi would step up next and rip a double down the third base line to plate two runners, juniors Chris Perkovich and Brad Schalk.
After a Perkovich single in the fifth and an Arnold groundout that moved him to second, Guglielmi stepped to the plate once more, this time with two outs and a guy on second. He stroked an RBI single to left field that scored Perkovich, giving SVSU a 4-3 advantage.
The Golden Falcons would respond with a trio of runs in the bottom half of the inning, grabbing a 6-4 lead.
That's where the score would stand, as neither team was able to do any more damage the rest of the way.
Guglielmi had two hits in the opener with three RBIs. Perkovich and Schalk each added a pair of base knocks as well, with Perkovich scoring twice.
D.J. Reetz took the loss in relief for the Cards, giving up three runs.
Game Two
Neither team was able to plate a run in the first couple of innings, but Felician scored a run in the top of three to take the 1-0 lead.
A two-RBI double from Schalk to score Dylin Eschenburg and Connor Foley would give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead with one out. Schwanz stepped up next and drilled a double to left-center, swapping spots with Schalk and scoring him for a 3-1 lead after three full innings.
That's all the cushion Geese would need on the afternoon, as he would finish pitching 6.0 innings, giving up just a pair of hits and one run while fanning seven.
SV tacked-on three insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, as RBIs from Guglielmi and sophomore Luke Valutis and a Felician error helped extend the Cardinal lead to 6-1.
Mitchell Lumley worked a scoreless seventh for Saginaw Valley, sealing the five run victory and giving the team its first win on the young 2014 season.
Schwanz was 3-for-3 in the second game with an RBI and a run scored. It marked his first career three-hit game. Schalk had a base knock with two RBIs while Valutis had an RBI single.
Redshirt freshman Derek Darling posted his first-career hit as well on a bunt single in the fifth inning. Fellow freshman Demetrius Dunlap scored his first collegiate run that same inning.
The split with Felician puts Saginaw Valley at 1-2 overall in 2014 while Felician currently sits at 3-4 overall. The Cards will play Oakland City (Ind.) in a 6:00 pm, nine-inning contest tomorrow with first pitch slated for 6:00 pm. The Cardinals and Golden Falcons will meet once more on the trip, a nine-inning tilt scheduled for Tuesday (Mar. 4) at 10:00 am.
