Cardinals post Friday sweep over GVSU in league action

Cardinals post Friday sweep over GVSU in league action

UNIVERSITY CENTER -- The Saginaw Valley State University Baseball team moved its league record to 5-1 after registering a Friday sweep over the Grand Valley State University Lakers at the SVSU Baseball Complex. The Cardinals defeated the visitors by a 4-3 score before claiming another one-run victory in the nightcap, 5-4.

Saginaw Valley is now 11-9 overall and 5-1 in GLIAC play. The Lakers fall to 8-12 overall and 1-5 in league action. The victories give SVSU five straight in league play. 

Game 1

The Cards took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st when Craig Wilson drove-in Collin Winters for the game's first run. 

No other runs came until the 6th inning, when GVSU went for three runs to take a 3-1 edge in the contest. 

SVSU responded in a big way in the home half, scoring three of its own to take the lead at 4-3. The Cardinals got an RBI single from Anthony Kania to plate Wilson and Winters drilled a two-RBI single that pushed Andrew Burke and Kania.

After Amani Godfrey worked a solid 5.0 innings into the 6th inning, Jordan Swiss came in and worked a scoreless final two innings to claim his first win of the season and seal the 4-3 win. Godfrey allowed three runs on three hits, posting a trio of strikeouts. Swiss allowed just a single hit in his two innings, striking-out one. Neither pitcher allowed a walk in the game.

Winters went 2-4 with two RBI while Wilson had two hits with an RBI as well. Kania added two hits with an RBI while Burke had a pair. Joshua Riggs added a double, joining Kania and Burke with the extra-base hits. Riggs had the only stolen base of the game.  

Game 2

SVSU jumped out in front in the nightcap as well, going for a pair in the bottom of the 1st to take the 2-0 edge. Swiss had an RBI single to score Derrek Clyde and later scored himself on an errant throw from the catcher back to the pitcher. 

The 3rd inning saw the home squad take a 3-0 edge when Swiss scored on an error by the shortstop with the infield pulled in. SVSU tacked-on another in the bottom of the 6th to take a 4-0 lead on a squeeze play when Austin Koin laid down a nice bunt to score Riggs. 

In the top of the 7th, GV scored a pair of runs to trim the deficit to 4-2. 

The home half saw Riggs reach on an error by the right fielder, allowing Swiss to score for a 5-2 lead for the Cardinals.

The Lakers kept it tight, scoring another pair in the top of the 8th inning to make the score 5-4.

Reliever John Fantauzzo would hold it down from there after allowing the two runs, earning his first save and securing the 5-4 win. He allowed the two runs on three hits, walking one and striking-out two. He had 2.1 innings in relief of Brandon Wise, who improved to 3-1 on the year after pitching the first 6.2 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits, working three strikeouts and two walks.

Swiss went 1-3 wiht an RBI, walk and two runs while Riggs added two hits with a double. Kania walked twice while Clyde had two hits and two runs for SVSU. Koin had the other RBI for the Cards on the squeeze. 

Postgame Interview - Steve Jaksa

Up Next...

The Cardinals and Lakers are scheduled to play on Saturday (Mar. 30) in a doubleheader, beginning at 2 pm. With bad weather in the forecast, stay tuned for any updates to the schedule. 

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