CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team dropped the first game of its doubleheader against the #2 team in the country, Minnesota State-Mankato. Seeking a split with the Mavericks, the Cardinals fought from three runs behind to tie the score of game two at 5-5 before eventually falling in extra innings, 6-5.
Game One
The Mavericks got on the board first, taking advantage of a costly SVSU error to score four unearned runs and grab the 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
SV answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning as sophomore Richard Guglielmi stroked a double to deep center field to score fellow sophomore Tyler Schwanz from first base, making the score 4-1.
Mankato went on to score 10 consecutive runs and open up a 14-1 lead heading into the last of the seventh inning.
Guglielmi scored on a double play for SV, its second and final run of the contest, as MSU closed-out for the 12-run victory.
Sophomores Brad Schalk and Dylin Eschenburg each had two hits in three plate appearances. Guglielmi helped account for both runs, as he had an RBI double and scored the other Cardinal run.
Sophomore Matt Stojkov took the loss on the mound, working 5.0 innings while giving up four earned runs.
Game Two
The second game of the twinbill saw the Mavs jump out to another quick lead, as the home team for game two scored a trio of runs in the bottom of the first.
Saginaw Valley used an RBI double from sophomore Luke Valutis that scored Schwanz in the top of the second to make the score 3-1.
The Mavs scored their fourth and fifth runs of the game in their half of the fourth inning, extending the lead to 5-1.
Senior Michael Craig would knock a single through the right side of the infield to score Valutis in the fifth inning, making the score 5-2.
With freshman David Freed beginning to settle-in for SVSU, it opened the door for the offense to break through and get back in the ballgame.
That's exactly what the Cards would do, plating three runs in their half of the sixth to knot the score at 5-5. A single from freshman Connor Foley scored both Schwanz and sophomore Niko Gonzalez for the first two runs. Junior Chris Perkovich would then cross the plate with the game-tying run after Eschenburg knocked a single to right field.
The teams would send seven batters combined to the plate in the seventh inning and the game would head for extra-innings.
The Mavericks had a runner reach second base with two outs in the eighth, but Freed got the third out on a grounder to short to end the threat.
After the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the ninth, MSU began the bottom of the frame with a double to left field by Todd Standish, who promptly stole third to set up a great scoring opportunity for the Mavericks. Kevin Kramer would step to the plate next and score Standish, sealing a walk-off victory for his team.
The pair of losses drop SVSU to 3-5 overall for the 2014 season while Mankato's record now stands at 8-1 on the year.
Foley was 2-for-4 in the second game with a pair of RBIs. Valutis added two hits as well with an RBI. Eschenburg and Craig also added RBI singles for SVSU.
Freed was the tough-luck loser, as the freshman worked eight-plus innings, scattering 10 hits and striking-out four batters.
The Cardinals return to action Saturday morning (Mar. 8) with a doubleheader against Ohio Valley. First pitch is set for 9:30 am at Clearwater's Tack South Field. It will be the final day of competition on the spring trip for Saginaw.
