MIDLAND, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team showed up in Midland today (May 3) with a sense of determination at Northwood University to the tune of a 14-3 rout. The Cardinals recorded a season-high 19 hits, including two home runs in the much-needed victory.
On the first pitch of the contest, Brad Schalk (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Bishop Foley) drove a pitch down the left field line for a leadoff double. Two batters later, Schalk came home to score after a throwing error gave SVSU the 1-0 edge.
Kyle O'Boyle (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek) clutched up later in the frame by lacing a two-out single to left scoring Chet LaFave (Charlotte, Mich.) for the 2-0 lead after one inning.
In the second, Brad Schalk picked up an RBI single of his own as he took a pitch back up the middle to score Niko Gonzalez (Rochester, Mich. / Stoney Creek) for the 3-0 advantage.
Saginaw Valley increased their lead in the fifth inning thanks to a Ryan Hotmer (Walbridge, Ohio / Lake) laser that found the gap in left center to plate two Cardinals. Dylin Eschenburg (Shelby Township, Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) followed later in the fifth executing a perfect squeeze bunt for a hit scoring Hotmer from third for the 6-0 lead over the Timberwolves.
In the sixth inning, Andy Orr (Utica, Mich.) touched home plate after an error by the first baseman on a bunt attempt by Chris Perkovich (Canton, Mich.). SVSU pushed their edge to seven with a Ryan Hotmer sacrifice fly that was deep enough to score O'Boyle from third for the 8-1 lead.
Dylin Eschenburg blasted his first career home run at Saginaw Valley as the freshman connected on a breaking ball to lead off the eighth inning, giving SVSU the 14-1 lead.
O'Boyle moved up to seventh place in the SVSU all-time career home run record book with a towering fly ball that carried the fence in left field to give the Cardinals a 14-1 lead. O'Boyle's homer was his sixth of the year and 20th career at Saginaw Valley, tieing him for seventh all-time in school history.
Carson Beauchaine (Fraser, Mich.) carried the Cardinals on the mound and threw seven strong innings allowing just one earned run on seven hits with four strikeouts. Beauchaine moves to 3-4 on the year after throwing 99 pitches.
O'Boyle led the Cardinals at the plate with a 4-hit performance along with two runs and a pair of RBIs. Brad Schalk and Eschenburg each tallied three hits each in the big road victory. Orr crossed home plate three times, while Hotmer posted a team-high three RBIs.
Saginaw Valley is now 12-13 in the GLIAC and sitting in fifth place with three games to go. The top six schools qualify for conference postseason play beginning next Wednesday.
The Cardinals will be back in action this weekend for a three-game series against Tiffin University, with both teams fighting for berths in the 2013 GLIAC Baseball Tournament.