MIDLAND, Mich. – Saginaw Valley State University traveled to Midland to play Northwood in the fourth annual Dow Diamond Classic at the home of the Great Lakes Loons. The Cardinals (29-12, 16-6 GLIAC) topped the Timberwolves (23-18, 16-8 GMAC) with a final score of 12-5 and outhit them 14-10. SVSU stays perfect in the Dow Diamond Classic up 4-0 on NU.
Hayden Jatczak broke the single season RBI record with a solo home run in the fourth for his 59th RBI of the season, breaking Kraig Enders 58 RBI in 2000. Jatczak finished 3-for-4 on the day and was a single shy of the cycle. He got on base five times with a double, triple, home run, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Austin Schweiger also had a three hit day going 3-for-6. Colin Cornwell, Austin Cicerone, and Connor McClennen all had two hits as well.
The pitching staff threw six arms and tallied nine strike outs. JJ Arbini started allowing three runs on four hits and a walk with one strike out over his two innings of work. Nick Bastian (W, 1-1) got the win in relief pitching three innings and allowing one run on two hits while punching out three.
In the top of the first, SVSU plated four runs to break open the game early. Cicerone doubled home three to start the scoring. Jeff Reseigh hit a single to score Cicerone to make it 4-0. All four runs coming off Northwood starter Dominic Mauro (L, 3-4) who left after recording two outs in the first inning.
Northwood got most of their runs with power. They blasted three home runs in the first three innings, a two-run shot in the first, and a solo home run in both the second and third.
Saginaw Valley stayed ahead with Schweiger singling home McClennen in the second and helping Schuerer steal home as Schweiger got into a pickle stealing second on the play to make it 6-2.
McClennen pushed the lead with an RBI single in the third scoring Reed Raymond. Jatczak made it a four-run game in the eighth with his 12th home run of the season before Raymond reach on a fielder's choice that scored Cornwell to make it 9-4 Cardinals in the top of the fourth.
Then the scoring stopped for nearly five innings. Chase Gruno pitched the sixth allowing a walk and struck out one as he faced four batters. Brandon Scheurer took over for the seventh and pitched two scoreless innings allowing two hits and walk while putting down three on strikes.
The Cardinals put up three in the ninth for extra insurance. Scheurer joined the party with an RBI single before scoring on Jatczak's triple. Cornwell singled home Jatczak for the final SVSU run of the day to make it 12-4. Raymond took over in the bottom of the inning and allowed one run on two hits as he struck out one and finished the game.
Cardinal baseball has two more four-game series at home to end the regular season. They host Grand Valley (21-18, 13-7 GLIAC) on Friday, April 26 at 3:00 PM to start the weekend series.