TRAVERSE CITY -- The Cardinal Baseball team remained alive in the 2019 GLIAC Tournament, posting a 6-1 victory over Purdue Northwest University on Friday morning at the Traverse City Pit Spitter Field. SVSU used a six-run 4th inning and a complete game performance on the mound from Amani Godfrey to seal the win.
The Pride got up 1-0 in the bottom of the 1st inning, scoring on an RBI base hit to right field. The Cards were able to end the inning on the same play, as Thomas Loftus, Austin Koin and Anthony Kania teamed-up for a relay to gun the runner at the plate and keep the deficit at a single run.
No scoring came again until the top of the 4th when Saginaw Valley piled-up six runs on four hits to take a 6-1 lead over the Pride. Jordan Swiss tripled to start and was promptly driven home by a Collin Winters double. Loftus then drove home Winters on a bases-loaded rip to right field. Kania scored Craig Wilson for the third run on a grounder to second base and reached on an error on the play. Andrew Burke followed with a two-RBI single that pushed Loftus and Koin across. The final run came when Derrek Clyde had an RBI groundout that allowed Kania to score.
Godfrey kept the Pride at bay from there, not allowing a runner into scoring position after the 4th inning. He improved to 4-6 overall on the season after scattering six hits and allowing the single run. He walked four batters and struck-out nine, which is the second most he has struck-out this season.
Burke finished with a pair of hits and two RBI. Winters had two hits with a double and an RBI while Swiss had two hits with a triple and run scored. Loftus had an RBI single while Wilson added a hit, walk and run scored. Clyde finished with an RBI and a walk.
Up Next...
SVSU will play again on Saturday (May 11) at 2:30 p.m. in another elimination game. The Cardinals will face Northwood University after the Timberwolves defeated Ashland on Friday afternoon, making it five teams remaining after six games in the tournament. You can follow Saturday's action live at svsucardinals.com.
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