The Basics
North Greenville 9, Saginaw Valley 7
Records: NGU (11-6) | SVSU (3-1)
Ashmore Field - Tigerville, S.C.

TIGERVILLE, S.C. - The SVSU baseball team got its 2016 spring trip underway on Thursday (Mar. 3), as the Cardinals traveled to play North Greenville University in a single, nine-inning contest. After falling behind 9-0, SVSU scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning but that wasn't enough as the Cards dropped a 9-7 decision on the road to the Crusaders. 

The home team got out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first after a three-run home run. The Crusaders added five more in their half of the second to make it 8-0 and another in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run to push the lead out to 9-0.

Saginaw Valley would do all of its scoring in the top of the seventh inning, going for seven runs to cut the deficit to 9-7. The scoring got underway on an RBI single from Jordan Swiss that plated Dylin Eschenburg. An Adam Fitzgibbon sacrifice fly would then plate Luke Valutis for the team's second score. Swiss would score on a bases-loaded walk ot Richard Guglielmi for the third run. The big blow came on a grand slam from Garrett Soule, which plated Guglielmi, Dylan Schultz and Adam Turner to give the visitors seven runs.

That would finish the scoring for the contest, as the Crusaders pulled out the two-run 9-7 win.

Inside the Boxscore

• Valutis was 3-for-3 in the game, scoring a run for the Cards.
• Eschenburg was 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored.
• Soule made his only hit count in four at-bats, knocking the grand slam over the left field wall for his third long ball of the 2016 season. 
• Guglielmi had the only other extra-bases hit for the Cards, as he struck for an RBI double. He scored a run and walked twice as well. 

On the Mound

• Jake Tarbell (0-1) got the start on the bump, working 2.0 innings and allowing eight runs on seven hits and three walks.
• Clayton Spiked tossed 4.0 innings, allowing a single run off three hits while walking one batter and striking-out four. 
• Andrew Tidwell pitched the final two innings, striking-out a pair of batters while scattering three hits and allowing zero runs. 

Up Next for SVSU

SVSU begins a four game series at Columbus State on Saturday (Mar. 5), with the first game beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Columbus, Georgia. 

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