DETROIT - The SVSU baseball team traveled to face Wayne State University in a mid-week Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader. After holding late leads in both ends of the doubleheader, the Cardinals could not hold on for victory, falling by scores of 4-2 and 6-5, respectively.
Game One
The Cardinals threatened in both the top of the second and third innings but couldn't capitalize on scoring opportunities and the game remained scoreless through three complete.
SVSU broke through for the game's first run, however, in the top of the fourth inning to take the 1-0 lead. Kyle Kaufmann had a one-out double and was moved to third after an Austin Plasterer walk and Chris Perkovich single. Brad Schalk followed next, reaching on a fielding error by the pitcher that allowed Kaufmann to score.
That 1-0 advantage held true for the Cards until the bottom of the sixth inning. SV got two quick outs to begin the frame but a single, wild pitch, single sequence allowed the home Warriors to knot the game at 1-1. An error after a stolen base and infield single allowed another run to score to give Wayne State the lead at 2-1. The home team would add another two unearned runs after an error kept the inning alive, extending the lead out to 4-1 heading into the seventh and final inning.
Chad Carson led-off the top of the seventh with a single for the Cards, and that was followed by Brendan Harrison begin hit by a pitch and a walk to Richard Guglielmi. That loaded the bases with no outs, giving SV a great opportunity to swing the momentum back its way.
A strikeout made it one out, but a fielder's choice groundout by Kaufmann scored Carson to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. Austin Plasterer reached on an error by the third baseman next, but Harrison had to stay at third and the Cards had bases loaded once more, this time with two outs.
Perkovich hit one on a line next but it was right at the shortstop, ending the game with a 4-2 final score.
Saginaw Valley out-hit the Warriors by a 9-to-5 margin in the game, with Carson going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Kaufmann had the only extra-base hit in the game with the fourth inning double, as he had the team's only RBI and scored the other run. He walked twice in the game as well for the Cards.
Bailey Magsig (1-2) got the start on the mound for the Cardinals, working 5.2 innings and allowing four hits in the losing effort. He allowed just one earned run of his three total and struck-out two batters.
Game Two
The Warriors got out to an early lead in the day's second game, pushing two runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning to grab a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals responded to tie the score at 2-2 in the top half of the third inning. Austin Plasterer led the frame off with a double down the right field line. Schalk stepped up to the plate a few batters later with two outs, ripping a single up the middle to plate Plasterer. Schalk moved up to second on a throw to the plate and he was driven-in when Carson switched spots with him after a two-out double, placing one down the right field line as well.
Wayne State got the lead back in the bottom half of the third, using a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-2.
The back-and-forth battle would continue into the top of the fourth when SVSU added another run, knotting the score at 3-3. After two quick outs for SV, a Kaufmann single was followed by a Plasterer walk, setting up runners on first and second with a pair of outs. A Connor Foley RBI single would follow to account for the third run, scoring Kaufmann.
The next score in the ball game would come in the top of the sixth, with the Cardinals doing the damage once more. Luke Valutis got things rolling with a one-out, RBI single. He would later be pushed across the plate on another ball put into play by Foley, this one a fielder's choice. The run gave the Cards their first lead of the nightcap at 4-3.
WSU would put up another crooked number on the board, playing a bit of station-to-station baseball to score a run and tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom half of the eighth.
SVSU would keep the damage there though and storm right back and take a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth. After two quick outs, Carson doubled to get it rolling and Harrison followed with an RBI single that put the Cards on top for the second time in the contest.
The Warriors took advantage of a pair of one-out walks and two singles to score a run in the bottom of the ninth, making the score 5-5 with one out and the bases loaded. A wild pitch would follow, however, and that would allow the game-winning run to score for the home team and make the final score 6-5.
D.J. Reetz (0-1) took the loss after being brought-on to close the game out. He allowed two hits, two walks and two runs while getting one out.
Carson had another two hits in the second game for the Cards, adding a run scored and an RBI. Foley had a hit and two RBIs as well. Kaufmann was 2-for-3 with a run while Harrison had a hit and the other RBI for SVSU.
Saginaw Valley falls to 10-12 overall for the 2015 season with a 5-9 record in the GLIAC. The Warriors improve to 13-14 and 7-7 in league play.
The Cardinals return to the diamond this weekend, as they host GLIAC South Division leader Ashland University on Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (noon) in a pair of GLIAC doubleheaders.