AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team split a pair of games against West Virginia Wesleyan to open its 2012 season at the Russ Matt Invitational. The Cardinals were victorious in the first game by a score of 5-1 before falling in game two by a score of 5-2.

Game 1

The contest was scoreless heading into the bottom of the fifth when junior Kyle O'Boyle (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek HS) laced an RBI single to right center field to score senior Ryan Ermers (Sterling Heights, Mich./Henry Ford II HS), who reached on an error to lead-off the inning. Jason Potts (Hartland, Mich.) followed by reaching on another Bobcat error to score Cam Wiechmann (Birch Run, Mich./Muskegon CC), who singled to right earlier in the inning.

Saginaw Valley's big inning continued when Chet LaFave (Charlotte, Mich./Olney Central College) ripped a single to left field to plate O'Boyle, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 edge. SVSU would score two more times in the fifth as Mike VanAlst (Clio, Mich.) grounded out to score Potts and was followed up by another run as LaFave scored on a passed ball.

Andrew Tidwell (Canton, Mich.) and Mike Schaaf (Saginaw, Mich./Arthur Hill HS) each threw in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, to close out the game and give the Cardinals a 5-1 victory to open the season.

Senior Colin Coulter (Clio, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) picked up the win on the hill, allowing zero runs, while pitching five innings and striking-out four batters.

Game 2

The Cardinals trailed 1-0 heading into the second inning when VanAlst lined a single to left center to score Andy Orr (Utica, Mich.), who reached on a throwing error.

Freshman Chris Perkovich (Canton, Mich.) picked up the first RBI of his collegiate career as he lined a pitch to left center to plate VanAlst to give SVSU a 2-1 lead.

However, West Virginia Wesleyan would answer with a run in the bottom half of the second to tie up the contest. The Bobcats added the final three runs of the game in the fourth inning to pick up the 5-2 victory.

Derek Kilmer (Birmingham, Mich./Brother Rice HS) picked up the loss in relief giving up three runs, one unearned, on four hits in one inning of work.

The Cardinals return to action tomorrow (Mar. 4), as they battle Rockhurst University in a double-header starting at 5:00 pm.