NORTH CANTON, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team split with Walsh University today (April 20). The Cardinals lost the first game 4-2 and pulled out a dramatic, come-from-behind victory with seven runs in the seventh for the 13-10 split.
Game One - Walsh 4, SVSU 2 - Box Score
Walsh (17-14, 11-10 GLIAC) struck first with a run in the second inning followed by a 2-run home run in the third for the 3-0 edge.
Saginaw Valley (11-17, 9-9 GLIAC) found their rhythm in the fifth inning when Brad Schalk (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Bishop Foley) drove in the first run of the contest for SVSU with a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Brendon Hayes (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson). Ryan Hotmer (Westbridge, Ohio / Lake) followed with a 2-out RBI double to right plating Dylin Eschenburg (Shelby Township, Mich. / Eisenhower), who also doubled earlier in the frame.
The Cardinals gave up another run in the sixth inning and were unable to capitalize on their bases loaded opportunity in the bottom of the seventh as Walsh went on to victory, 4-2.
Starting pitcher Carson Beauchaine (Fraser, Mich.) had a solid performance on the mound for Saginaw Valley recording a career-high 10 strikeouts in his 14th career complete game. Beauchaine allowed six hits and three earned runs throwing all six innings.
Brad Schalk and Dylin Eschenburg led the SVSU offense with two hits each.
Game Two - SVSU 13, Walsh 10 - Box Score
In the second inning, Dylin Eschenburg connected on a 2-RBI double to left center scoring both Dennis Kan (Petoskey, Mich.) and Chris Perkovich (Canton, Mich.). Two batters later, Andy Orr (Utica, Mich.) recorded his 30th hit of the season on an RBI single to bring home Eschenburg pushing the Cardinal lead to 4-0.
Chet LaFave recorded his second RBI of the contest in the fourth inning when he drove in Eshenburg from first base with a double. In the fifth, freshman Tyler Schwanz (Novi, Mich.) increased the SVSU lead to 6-1 after an RBI single to left field scored Ryan Hotmer.
Walsh mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth inning when they rallied for nine runs on seven hits with the help of two SVSU errors to take a 10-6 lead.
Saginaw Valley were relentless in their attack in the seventh inning as Tyler Schwanz started the comeback with an RBI single to score Michael Craig (Milan, Mich.) to cut into the deficit. Schalk and Eschenburg made it three consecutive RBI singles for the Cardinals to trim the Walsh lead to one with no outs. After LaFave reached on an error, Andy Orr tied up the game with a single scoring Schalk.
The scene was then set for senior Kyle O'Boyle (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek) who crushed a 3-run home run to left center to give SVSU a 13-10 advantage to complete the comeback with seven runs in the seventh. The homer was O'Boyle's fifth of the year and 19th of his Cardinal career moving him into the top ten all-time at Saginaw Valley.
Senior closer Justin Drzewicki (Bay City, Mich. / Central) earned his first victory of the season as he slammed the door on Walsh to end the game.
The Cardinals will finish off their weekend road trip in Canton with a single, nine inning contest tomorrow (April 21) at noon.