TIFFIN, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team hit the road for its opening weekend of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. The Cardinals faced the Tiffin Dragons on Friday (Mar. 19) in the first league doubleheader of the 2015 season. SVSU claimed a 3-2 victory in the first game before dropping a 6-3 decision in the nightcap.
Game One
The Dragons took the advantage in the first game, scoring single runs in the bottom of the 3rd and 4th innings, respectively, to take the 2-0 advantage.
The Cardinals knotted things up in the top of the 5th frame, plating a pair to make the score 2-2. Chad Carson knocked a two-RBI single to score Chris Perkovich and Demetrius Dunlap for the runs.
The only scoring for the rest of the game came when SVSU used a single and hit-by-pitch in the top of the 6th to threaten. Connor Foley stepped-in next, lacing an RBI single to score Dylan Schultz for the 3-2 lead.
Relief pitcher D.J. Reetz held it down from there, holding the Dragons scoreless the rest of the way for his first save of the season. He saved it for starting pitcher Scott Sency, who improved to 2-0 on the season after working 5.1 innings. Sency scattered six hits and struck-out five Dragons in the effort.
SVSU made use of their four hits, as Carson had one base-knock with two RBIs and Foley had an RBI single. Perkovich and Schultz had the other SVSU hits.
Game Two
Tiffin took the lead early in the nightcap, scoring six runs through the first four innings to take the 6-0 lead.
Saginaw Valley answered with a single run in the top of the 6th, using a Richard Guglielmi RBI double to score Carson to make the score 6-1.
The Cards would add another pair of runs in the top of the 8th as Carson laced an RBI double to score Dunlap. Brendan Harrison then had an RBI after being hit by a pitch, pushing Perkovich across the plate to make the score 6-3.
That's what the score would remain, however, as the Dragons tied up the series with the victory.
Carson was 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI and Guglielmi had a pair of hits with a run knocked-in.
Pete Baumgartner took the loss on the hill for the Cardinals (6-4, 1-1 GLIAC), tossing 3.2 innings while allowing six runs.
The two teams will be back at it Saturday (Mar. 21) for another conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm again at the Paradiso Athletic Complex.