CLEARWATER, Fla. - The SVSU baseball team squared-off against a GLIAC opponent on Thursday (Mar. 5) afternoon in Lake Erie College.  The Cardinals and Storm faced each other in a non-conference tilt, as they will not play each other during the regular season with the new scheduling and the creation of North and South Divisions in the league.

Playing the team the Cards lost to twice in the 2014 GLIAC Tournament, SV got the better of the matchup to begin the 2015 season.  SVSU recorded 14 hits and got solid pitching on the mound to post a 12-4 victory over the Storm.

Saginaw Valley responded to an early 1-0 deficit and went for six runs of their own in the bottom half of the 1st inning, playing as the game's home team.  Chad Carson had an RBI triple to center field that scored Connor Foley for the Cards' first run to tie the game at 1-1.  A Kyle Kaufmann single brought Carson home to make the score 2-1.  After a walk to Brendan Harrison and a strikeout, Dylan Schultz stepped to the plate and smacked a three-run home run to extend the lead to 5-1.  That wasn't it for the inning, either, as Brad Schalk dug-in next and made it back-to-back long balls with a solo shot to make the score 6-1.  It was Schultz's first homer in a Cardinal uniform and Schalk's second-career round-tripper.

The Cardinals added another run in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Harrison drilled an RBI double that scored Foley to make the score 7-1.

Lake Erie's Lucas Raley had a home run for the visitors in the top of the 3rd, drawing the Storm closer to make the score 7-3.  Another run from Lake Erie in the top of the 5th gave them their fourth and final run of the game and made the count 7-4 in the Cardinals' favor.

A Chris Perkovich RBI single in the bottom of the 5th scored Schalk to double-up the Storm's score at 8-4.

SVSU added single runs in the 6th and 7th and two more in its half of the 8th inning to pull away for the 12-4 victory.

The Cards got 14 hits in the contest, one shy of their season-high of 15 in the season opener against USciences.  

Brian Feinauer got the start for SV, working 4.2 innings and allowing four runs while striking-out seven batters.

Andrew Tidwell got the win in relief, tossing 2.1 innings of scoreless ball while allowing three hits and posting two strikeouts.

Five different SVSU hitters had multiple hits in the game.  Schultz had two hits with four RBIs, including the three-run dinger.  Carson had two hits with an RBI while Schalk, Perkovich and Harrison all had two hits and an RBI.  Kaufmann added a single with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Saginaw Valley improves its record to 5-1 overall on the season with the victory while the Storm fall to 1-2.  The Cardinals are back on the diamond Friday (Mar. 6) for a 6:00 pm contest against West Chester.