DETROIT, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team posted a split on the road against the Wayne State University Warriors today (5/4) in a mid-weed Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader. The Cardinals (19-22, 14-15 GLIAC) took the first game by a score of 3-1 before the Warriors (27-16, 19-12 GLIAC) bounced-back for an eighth inning walk-off victory in the nightcap, 3-2.
The Cardinals did all of their damage in the third inning, as they used a couple of Warrior errors to their benefit. Matt Hunt (Howell, Mich./Concordia University) ripped a two-RBI single that scored Mike VanAlst (Clio, Mich.) and Kyle Parks (Flushing, Mich.), who reached on an error. SVSU added another unearned run when Kyle O'Boyle (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek HS) had an RBI double that scored Hunt.
Wayne State plated a single run in the bottom of the seventh, but that's all SVSU starter Carson Beauchaine (Fraser, Mich.) would give-up, as he pitched his second-straight complete game, scattering six hits and striking-out five while improving to 6-3 on the season. His ERA now stands at 1.46.
Hunt was 3-for-4 in the opener with two RBI's while five other Cardinals recorded one hit.
SVSU got on the board first in the opening inning of the second game, using a double by O'Boyle to score Drew Woock (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) to make the score 1-0.
The Warriors answered back with a pair of runs in the second inning to claim the 2-1 advantage.
O'Boyle knocked-in Eric Burt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) with a single in the third to even the score at 2-2.
That's where the score would stand until Wayne State came up to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Warriors used a two-out walk, followed by a double by J.J. Ciennik, to walk-off with a 3-2 victory.
O'Boyle had three of the Cardinals' seven hits with both RBI's, including his second double of the day. Justin Drzewicki (Bay City, Mich./Central HS) took the loss in relief of starter Mike Saunders (Mt. Morris, Mich./EA Johnson HS), who worked seven strong innings but didn't figure into the decision.
The Cardinals are back in action this weekend, as they welcome Tiffin University for a series on the final weekend of regular season GLIAC play. Saturday's doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m. while Sunday's twinbill gets underway at noon.