DETROIT, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State baseball team was 1-1 today (April 29) against Wayne State, dropping the first game 7-0, but rallying in the second game, 4-3.

GAME 1
In the first game, the Cardinals struggled to find the right formula to get runners around the bases, but were given some offense by senior Kevin Schwedler (Midland, Mich.) who went 2-3 in the game, along with freshman Ryan Ermers (Utica, Mich.) who connected with two singles in three at bats.

As a team, the Cardinals managed to get seven hits off Wayne State’s pitching staff, and not for a big second inning where the Warriors posted five runs off five hits and one SVSU error, the Cardinals were in the thick of the game, only allowing one more run as the defense put a kibosh on Wayne State’s offense.

GAME 2
In the second game, SVSU fell behind in the first inning by two runs, but would get one back in the second inning as sophomore Dustin Mayner (Gaines, Mich.) would hit a two-out double down the left field line, and would advance to t hird on a wild pitch before freshman Jason Potts (Hartland, Mich.) singled up the middle, advancing Mayner across home plate.

In the fourth, Mayner got his second double of the game as he led the inning off with a two-base hit to left field, and would advance to third on a single from Potts. Ermers would hit into a double play that would allow Mayner to score his second run of the game, knotting the score, 2-2.

The Warriors would add one run in the fifth inning, and would hold the lead until SVSU got the bats going in the top of the seventh. Potts would lead off with a single through the right side. Freshman Todd Buckingham would enter the game to pinch run for Potts before Ermers hit a single to right center, advancing Buckingham to third base. With two on, and nobody out, junior Kevin Dore (Bay City, Mich.) drew a walk to juice the bases. With the next two Cardinals going down, the game hung on junior Ryan Webber’s (Clio, Mich.) shoulders, and the clean-up hitter followed through with a single to center field, scoring Buckingham and Ermers to give the Cardinals a 1-run advantage going into the Warrior half of the seventh.

On the mound, freshman Colin Coulter (Clio, Mich.) gave up just one hit in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win for SVSU. In the complete game, Coulter threw 7.0 innings, allowing eight hits, just one earned run while striking out two.

Potts would go 3-3 with one RBI on the game, with Ermers close behind going 2-3. and Mayner smacking two doubles on the afternoon.

With the split, the Cardinals are now 17-25-1 overall and 13-16-1 in the GLIAC, while Wayne State is 23-22 overall and 17-13 in the GLIAC. SVSU will return to action for a doubleheader at Dow Diamond at 4 p.m. Saturday against Northwood University. General admission tickets for the game are $5, but SVSU students with proper school ID will get in for free.