UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The SVSU baseball team bounced-back for a Sunday sweep over the Malone University Pioneers, posting 10-1 and 8-5 victories over their GLIAC South opponents at the SVSU Baseball Complex.
Game One
The Cardinals went for six runs in the bottom of the first inning, being aided by six Pioneer errors to go along with three SVSU hits to make the lead 6-0 for the home squad. Adam Fitzgibbon, Chad Carson and Carson Eby scored on back-to-back squeeze bunts from Chad Carson and Garrett Soule. Soule scored on an error later and a two-RBI single from Fitzgibbon scored Jordan Swiss and Brendan Harrison.
After Malone scored a run in the top of the third, SVSU answered with another trio of runs in the bottom of the third to push the lead out to 9-1. Swiss singled in Harrison and would score on a Craig Wilson double. Eby then plated Wilson with the ninth run for SV.
The final run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Eby ripped an RBI single to score Fitzgibbon to make the score 10-1. That's what the final score would remain.
Inside the Boxscore
- Fitzgibbon had three hits in the game with a pair of RBIs and two runs.
- Eby was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
- Swiss had a pair of hits as well, scoring twice and knocking-in a single run.
- Clayton Spiker (4-2) had a great outing on the mound, tossing a complete game and allowing just two hits and a run. He walked just one and struck-out six batters in the victory. He needed just 85 pitches, throwing 61 of those for strikes.
Game Two
Malone got out to the quick lead in the nightcap, going for two runs in the top of the first and another in the second to make the score 3-0.
Saginaw Valley stormed back in the bottom half of the fourth inning to score five runs and make the count 5-3. Adam Turner drove-in Soule for the first run. Swiss then notched a two-RBI double that allowed Turner and Kyle Randick to cross the plate. A Wilson sacrifice fly then scored Swiss and the fifth run came via an Eby RBI double over the left fielder's head to score Fitzgibbon.
The Pioneers added two runs to their tally in their half of the sixth, tying the game at 5-5.
Two Cardinal runs in the bottom of the sixth gave the home team the lead back when a Carson squeeze pushed Swiss across and another from Soule allowed Fitzgibbon to score.
Fitzgibbon had an RBI single to plate Swiss in the bottom of the seventh to cap the game's scoring, with SVSU closing-out for the 8-5 victory.
Inside the Boxscore
- Fitzgibbon stayed hot, collecting three more hits with an RBI and two runs scored.
- Eby had a pair of hits and an RBI while Swiss was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
- Carson walked twice, adding a hit and an RBI.
- Scott Sency (4-2) got the victory in relief, throwing 2.0 innings while allowing no hits while striking-out four and walking one.
- Michael Ellenbest closed-out the victory after working a scoreless ninth inning for the Cardinals.
- Jake Tarbell got the start on the hill, throwing 5.0 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and had five strikeouts and two walks.
Up Next…
Saginaw Valley (16-18, 8-8 GLIAC) travels to Wayne State University Wednesday (Apr. 20) for a mid-week doubleheader in Detroit. The Cardinals posted a sweep over the Warriors earlier this season with victories of 3-2 and 6-2 on April 13th.
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