PAINESVILLE, Ohio - The SVSU baseball team continued conference play, as the team hit the road on Saturday to begin a four-game series at Lake Erie College. The Cardinals would split the twinbill against the Storm, dropping an 8-7 decision in Game 1 and taking the nightcap with a 5-1 victory over the Storm.
Game One
Both teams were held scoreless as the contest pushed into the third inning.
Lake Erie struck first in the contest by tacking on two runs in the third inning and grew its lead further the following inning with four more runs. The Storm closed out the fourth inning holding a 6-0 lead on the Cardinals.
Saginaw Valley erased a six run deficit in the top half of the fifth inning, tacking on seven runs and grabbing its first lead of the contest.
Craig Wilson plated the Cardinals' first runs with an opposite field RBI double. Wilson would be driven home on the next at-bat, as Chad Carson cut the deficit to 6-3 with a 2 RBI single that also scored Derrek Clyde.
With runners at second and third and only one out, Adam Fitzgibbon made the score 6-5 with an RBI double down the right field line, scoring Adam Turner and Brendan Harrison.
The Cardinals then took a 7-6 lead on the Storm with Ausitn Koin's 2-RBI single. SVSU scored seven runs in the fifth inning and sent 13 batters to the plate during the frame.
SVSU's lead would be short lived, however, as the Storm rallied in the bottom half for two runs and jumped ahead on the Cardinals 8-7.
Lake Erie's bullpen would then hold the Cardinals scoreless over the final two innings as SVSU fell 8-7 in the opening game against the Storm.
Inside the Boxscore
- Fitzgibbon and Austin Koin each had a pair of hits for the Cardinals, both driving-in a pair as well and scoring a run. Koin added a walk as well for SVSU. Both of Fitzgibbon's hits were doubles.
- Carson was 1-3 with two RBI and a walk.
On the Mound
- Trevor Friday got the start, working the first 3.0 innings. He allowed six runs (4 earned) on five hits, walking four and striking-out one batter.
- Alex Millhisler worked 0.2 innings after that, allowing no runs on a hit.
- Harrison took the loss, allowing two runs on a hit, walking two batters.
- Jake Tarbell finished the last inning for SVSU, giving up a single hit and posting a pair of strikeouts.
Game Two
Saginaw Valley fell behind early, as the Storm went for a single run in the bottom of the 1st to take a 1-0 edge.
The Cardinals went for single runs in the top of the 3rd and 4th innings, erasing the deficit and taking a 2-1 lead. The SVSU runs came courtesy of a Wilson RBI single that plated Connor Sonnier and a Fitzgibbon RBI single that pushed Harrison.
Two more SV runs in the top of the 8th would push the Cardinal lead out to 4-1. Those came when Harrison belted a two-run home run that scored Wilson for the runs.
Another run for the Cardinals in the top of the 9th came when Garrett Soule had a bunt single, which allowed Fitzgibbon to score on a throwing error by the pitcher. That put the game at its final count of 5-1, with Saginaw Valley coming away with the victory.
Inside the Boxscore
- Fitzgibbon went 2-2 with a double, RBI and run scored. He drew a pair of walks as well.
- Wilson had two hits, adding an RBI and run.
- Harrison was 1-3 with the two-run shot. He scored two runs in the nightcap.
On the Mound
- Amani Godfrey picked-up his first victory for the Cardinals, working 7.1 innings and allowing a single run on four hits. He notched eight strikeouts and walked five batters.
- Tyler Stambaugh came in and slammed the door shut on the Storm for the save. He tossed the final 1.2 innings, blanking the opponents and notching two strikeouts.
Up Next...
The teams meet again on Sunday with another league twinbill. First pitch is set for Noon in Painesville, Ohio.
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