UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team bounced back from a defeat on Thursday to post a 7-6 opening game, 10-inning victory over the Walsh University Cavaliers on Friday (Apr. 18) in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader.  Despite a late comeback effort in the nightcap, SVSU would end up falling in the second game by a score of 4-2.

Game One

The Cavaliers were the first to put up a crooked number on the scoreboard in the opener, as they took a 3-0 lead on a trio of RBI singles.

SVSU responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third to cut the deficit to 3-2.  Brad Schalk ripped a single up the middle to plate Chris Perkovich and Richard Guglielmi.

Walsh put up another three spot in the next inning, making the score 6-2.

The Cardinals got on the board again in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a Walsh error as Connor Foley scored to make the score 6-3.

SV would add another two runs in the sixth inning, drawing closer with the score 6-5.  Guglielmi and Perkovich each pushed runs across the plate with RBI singles.

With Saginaw Valley trailing by a run heading into its last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals were looking for some late-inning heroics once again.  Kyle Kaufmann led the inning off with a one-out double over the center fielder's head.  Luke Valutis fouled out to the right fielder next, but smart base-running by Kaufmann and a good jump allowed him to tag and advance to third, proving critical.  A couple pitches later, a passed ball allowed Kaufmann to score, tying the game at 6-6.  Walsh would get out of the inning, but the damage had been done and the game was headed for extra innings.

Jeff Schalk, who entered the game in the top of the fifth inning for the Cardinals, continued to hold the Walsh hitters in-check as he kept hanging zeros in the top of every inning.

After the Cardinals failed to score a runner from second with one out in the ninth, they would not disappoint in their half of the 10th inning.  

Dylin Eschenburg singled through the left side to get the ball rolling in the inning.  After a couple failed sacrifice bunt attempts by K.J. Neibauer, he would hit a slow chopper to second that would advance Eschenburg to second, serving the same purpose.  Foley would follow with a single up the middle, setting up a first and third situation with one out.

With the infield drawn-in to try and cut down the potential winning run at the plate, Perkovich shot a single through the right side, allowing Eschenburg to cross the plate with the winning run, giving SVSU its third walk-off victory in less than a week's span.

Schalk recorded his first victory of the season in the relief effort.  The junior tossed six innings of scoreless relief, allowing just four hits in the contest.

Perkovich tallied three hits with two RBIs in the opener and Eschenburg added three base knocks as well.  Brad Schalk had two hits and a pair of RBIs and Guglielmi had a pair of hits as well with a ribbie.

Game Two

The nightcap saw its first scoring in the second inning, as both teams notched a single run for a 1-1 deadlock.  The Cardinals' run came on an Eschenburg sacrifice fly that scored Kaufmann.

The Cavaliers added a run in the third and two in the fourth, taking a 4-1 lead.

Kaufmann scored in the bottom of the sixth on a fielder's choice to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Michael Craig attempted to get things going in the last of the seventh with a two-out double, but the Cardinals couldn't keep it rolling and would fall by the 4-2 final score.

Craig and Kaufmann led the offensive effort in the second game with two hits-apiece.  Brad Schalk didn't reach base safely in the game, ending his 13-game hitting streak.

Aaron Langlois pitched a complete game for the Cardinals, suffering the loss on the mound.  He worked all seven innings for SVSU, allowing four runs while striking-out two.

Saginaw Valley now stands at 10-20 overall on the season and 7-13 in GLIAC play.  The team returns to action Saturday (Apr. 18) for a single, nine-inning tilt against the Cavaliers at noon.