HILLSDALE - The SVSU baseball team traveled to Hillsdale College for a Saturday doubleheader in GLIAC action. Despite racking-up double digit hits in both games, the Cardinals fell in two close games; dropping the opener by a 6-5 score before falling 9-8 in the nine-inning nightcap.

SVSU now stands at 16-22 overall and 8-12 in the GLIAC while the Chargers improve to 24-14 and 12-8 in league play.

Game One

Adam Fitzgibbon led the game off with a triple and and scored on a throwing error by the catcher to give the visitors a 1-0 edge in the top of the first.

Hillsdale scored twice in the bottom of the second and took the 2-1 lead.

SVSU came right back in the top of the fourth to score three runs on a sacrifice fly and two squeeze plays, giving the visitors a 4-2 lead. Fitzgibbon and Carson Eby had RBIs in the frame.

The Chargers scored a single run in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, to knot the score at 4-4.

Garrett Soule broke the stalemate in the top of the seventh for SV, knocking-in Richard Guglielmi for the 5-4 lead with a single through the left side.

The bottom of the seventh saw the home side tie the game at 5-5 with a sac fly and with two outs, the Chargers claimed the victory after a throwing error allowed them an unearned run for the 6-5 count.

Inside the Boxscore

• Both teams had 10 hits in the opener.
• Guglielmi and Brendan Harrison each went 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored. 
• Fitzgibbon had the only extra-base hit for SV with the triple and he added a run and RBI.
• Soule had a hit and RBI as well, while Eby had an RBI.
• Clayton Spiker (4-3) took the loss while working 6.2 innings, allowing six runs (3 earned) while walking one and posting three strikeouts.

Game Two

The Cardinals responded to a pair of Hillsdale runs in the first by scoring five in the top of the second for a 5-2 advantage. Harrison scored Soule for the first run and Fitzgibbon had a two-RBI double to plate Harrison and Nate Blackwell. Eby would follow with his first career home run, scoring Fitzgibbon for the fifth run.

The Chargers added three more in the second to knot the score at 5-5.

Saginaw Valley bounced back again, though, pushing two more runs across in the third to make the score 7-5 in its advantage. A Blackwell triple scored Soule and Harrison had an RBI single to bring Blackwell around.

Hillsdale had a run in the fourth and two more in the home half of the fifth, taking an 8-7 lead in the game.

Adam Turner crossed the plate on a wild pitch after he tripled to come up big and tie the game at 8-8.

The Chargers' Chris McDonald would start the bottom of the eighth inning off with a solo home run to take the lead at 9-8.

SVSU would get Fitzgibbon into scoring position after a single and steal in the top of the ninth but Hillsdale would prevail for the one-run victory.

Inside the Boxscore

• Fitzgibbon had four of SVSU's 12 hits in the nightcap with two doubles, a pair of RBIs, a walk and run scored. It was his first career four-hit game for the Cardinals.
• Eby had a pair of hits with the home run and two RBIs.
• Harrison went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, a walk and run scored.
• Jake Tarbell (0-3) took the loss on the hill, pitching 2.0 innings while allowing a single run on two hits. He struck-out three batters.

Up Next...

The same two teams meet at Hillsdale's Simpson Field Sunday (Apr. 24) in a noon doubleheader featuring the GLIAC North Division opponents.

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