TIFFIN, Ohio. – The Saginaw Valley State
baseball team lost a double-header today (March 18) to begin the
2009 GLIAC season. In the first game the Cardinals held off the the
Dragons until the bottom of the ninth inning before falling, 2-1.
In the second, Tiffin defeated Saginaw Valley in seven innings,
9-5.
Game one was a nail-biter of a game, the Cardinals fell behind 1-0
early, as Tiffin scored a run in the bottom of the first. The
Cardinals wouldn’t be able to cut into that lead until the
top of the sixth inning, when Ryan Webber (Clio, Mich.) smacked a
lead-off home run – his second of the 2009 season.
In what ended up being a pitcher’s duel, the Cardinals
managed seven hits off the Tiffin staff. Junior pitcher Kevin
Kerner (Richmond, Mich.), made his third start of the young season,
goin 5-1/3 innings giving up one run on eight hits and striking out
three. Junior Jon Tibaudo (Harper Woods, Mich.) threw the final
3-2/3 innings allowing two hits and strikingout out one before
Tiffin would scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the
ninth.
In Game two, Tiffin jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first,
but the Cardinals would get on the scoreboard in the top of the
second when freshman Jason Potts (Hartland, Mich.) was hit by a
pitch. Sophomore Dustin Mayner (Gaines, Mich.) followed with a
single putting runners on first and second for freshman Ryan Ermers
(Utica, Mich.) who drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Junior
Andy Ferriauolo (Perry, Mich.) would then become the second
Cardinal to get hit by a pitch in the inning to drive in Potts.
In the bottom of the second, starting pitcher freshman Steve Janes
(Chesterton, Ind.) would get the Dragons out 1-2-3, giving the
Cardinals momentum going into the top half of the third inning.
Junior Charlie Thomas would get the Cardinal started with a two-out
single. He would advanced to second after junior Josh Kozuch (Bay
City, Mich.) became the third Cardinal to be hit by a pitch in the
game. After a Potts walk, Mayner ripped a single driving in two
runs and giving the Cardinals the lead, 3-2.
But the lead didn’t last long, as Tiffin was able to put up
three in the bottom of the third to go up 5-3. However, SVSU
battled back in the next inning with two runs coming off a two-run
double by Thomas to knot the score 5-5.
Tiffin would then buckle down on the Cardinals on defense and
would get four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 9-5 lead
that would stand the rest of the game.
The losses drop the Cardinals’ record to 3-11 overall, and
0-2 in the GLIAC, while Tiffin improves to 5-10 overall, and 2-0 in
the GLIAC. SVSU will look to get back on track against the
University of Findlay this weekend, as the Oilers come to Cardinal
Country for a double-header scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.
Saturday (March 21) and a single game set to start at noon on
Sunday (March 22).
Saginaw Valley Drops Two to Tiffin
Posted: Mar 18, 2009