UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State baseball team was defeated in a doubleheader today (April 4) by GLIAC foe Tiffin University, 20-8 and 6-1.

GAME 1
In the opener, the Dragons were able to leap out to a 10-run lead in the second inning. However, the Cardinals were able to battle back in the bottom of the second cutting the deficit to four by posting six runs of their own.

Leading off the inning, junior Ryan Webber (Clio, Mich.) doubled down the left field line, followed by an RBI single off junior Josh Peterson’s (Midland, Mich.) bat. Freshman Mike VanAlst (Clio, Mich.) drove Peterson in with a double to right-center field followed by a walk issued to freshman Jason Potts (Midland, Mich.) to put two runners on for junior Chase Coulter (Clio, Mich.). Coulter dug in, and cracked a single through the right side to score VanAlst. Next up, sophomore Dustin Mayer (Gaines, Mich.) cranked an RBI double scoring Potts from third, followed by junior Kevin Dore (Bay City, Mich.) hitting a two-RBI single, and forcing Tiffin to make a pitching change, but not before the Cardinals were able to put six runs and six hits on the board.

Tiffin would add four runs in the third and six more in the fourth before the Cardinals put anymore runs on the board in the fifth inning. After a major overhaul to the lineup, the Cardinals were able to get three hits in the inning. Freshman Luke McClain (Mt. Morris, Mich.) got a one-out double to left center, followed by a single up the middle from junior Derek Foyt (Ortonville, Mich.). VanAlst drew a walk to load the bases for senior Andy Plouff (Midland, Mich.) who hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing McClain to cross the plate safely, followed by a single through the right side off Coulter’s bat that scored Foyt to end the SVSU scoring for the game.

GAME 2
In the second game of the twin bill, the Cardinals were only able to put one run on the board in the bottom of the first inning as Webber hit an RBI single through left side to bring SVSU within one run.

The next inning, the Dragons were able to put three runs on the board to take a 5-1 lead. After that, however, the Cardinals were able to play solid defense, and only allowed one more run until the top of the sixth to give Tiffin the win, 6-1.

With the losses, the Cardinals fall to 9-17 overall, and 6-8 in the GLIAC, while Tiffin improves to 11-18 overall, and 6-8 in the GLIAC. Saginaw Valley will look to bounce back against the Dragons tomorrow (April 5) as these teams will meet in a nine-inning contest that is scheduled to get underway at noon.