ST. LOUIS – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program started their spring break trip with the first of four games in Missouri. The Cardinals (6-2) took on the University of Missouri - St. Louis Friday afternoon and came up with a big 9-1 win. SVSU out hit the Tritons (5-4) 14-7 and led for eight of the nine innings.
Chase Raymond (W, 2-0) started on the mound and earned a quality start going seven innings and allowing one run four hits while striking out four. Saginaw Valley got multi-hit days from Brandon Scheurer, Reed Raymond, and Hayden Jatczak. Scheurer and Raymond both tallied three hits with Jatczak coming up with two, both for extra bases.
UMSL took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly. It was the only run the Tritons would score and the lead was short lived. In the top of the second, the Cardinals put up a crooked number with five runs on five hits. Reed Raymond and Ethan Rose both singled and after a strikeout, they advanced on a ground ball. With two outs, Connor McClennen singled to right center scoring both runners for the 2-1 lead. Scheurer followed up with a single before Jatczak blasted a ball to left center for a three-run home run to open the game up with his second long ball of the season.
Two more runs for SVSU were added in the fourth. Jeff Reseigh walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Scheurer delivered his lone RBI on his 3-for-5 day with an RBI single to make it 6-1. Jatczak doubled to put two in scoring position and Colin Cornwell scratched home the sixth run of the game with an RBI ground out.
In the sixth, Jatczak walked and Austin Schweiger was hit by a pitch to put two on with two outs. Reed Raymond delivered his third hit of the day with a single to the right side to score Jatczak. The final run of the game came in the top of the eighth with a Cornwell double to left center that scored Schuerer for the third time and made it 9-1.
Cardinal pitching settled in with Chase Raymond delivering six scoreless innings to follow. Chase Gruno pitched a scoreless eighth inning allowing one hit and striking out two. In the ninth, Derek Slocum took over and allowed two hits and hit a batter, but worked out of danger with a strike out and a ground out to get out of the inning without allowing a run.
SVSU baseball continues the Missouri trip with a doubleheader on Saturday as they play Maryville in game one and McKendree in game two before coming back to UMSL on Sunday for another game against the Tritons. First pitch against Maryville is scheduled for 2:00 PM EST with the McKendree game set for 5:00 PM EST.