JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team returned to the diamond on Saturday afternoon to continue a four-game series at Silver Diamond against Carson-Newman Unviersity. The Cardinals dropped Game 1 by a final score of 7-3 but would finish out the doubleheader by securing an 8-4 victory over the Eagle, notching their first victory of the season.

Game One   

Saginaw Valley scored the game's first run in the first at-bat with an opposite field home-run from Derrek Clyde. His second HR of the season gave the Cadinals an early 1-0 lead. 

The Eagles ended the first inning with the score tied at 1-1 after plating a run with an RBI single. 

The 1-1 stalemate held up until the fourth inning, when SVSU regained the lead by scoring two runs off a base hit from Jordan Swiss. The bases-loaded single gave the Cardinals the 3-1 lead. 

Carson-Newman would tie the game up once again in the fourth and fifth innings, as the Eagles drove home one run in each frame to force a 3-3 tie at the end of five. The Eagles would take the lead from the Cardinals in the bottom of the seventh inning, tacking on four runs and putting away the game with a 7-3 lead. 

SVSU nearly struck for more runs in the top of the ninth innings, loading the bases with just one out. Carson-Newman forced the Cardinals to ground into a double play and come away with a 7-3 victory in game one. 

Inside the Boxscore

• Derrek Clyde recorded his second home run of the season in Game 1 for SVSU. He finished 1-for-3 at the plate with two walks and scored a run. 
• Adam Fitzgibbon and Chad Carson each recorded a hit as well, with Fitzgibbon reaching bases twice more with two walks. 
• Craig Wilson led the Cardinal offense with his 3-for-5 game in the batters box.  
• Scott Sency (0-2) took to the mound for SVSU and was credited with the loss. He went 6.1 innings and allowed seven runs on six hits but struck-out 10 batters. He threw 107 pitches. 

Game Two

Saginaw Valley grabbed its first win of the season in the back end of the doubleheader against the Eagles. The Cardinals were able to do so by putting up five runs in the first two innings of play. 

In the first inning, SVSU sent eight men to the plate and scored first with a RBI single up the middle off the bat of Collin Winters. Later in the inning, Craig Wilson recorded an RBI off a throwing error from the Eagles that brought home Chad Carson. 

The Cardinals held the Eagles scoreless in the bottom half of the frame and came back in the top of the second inning swining the hot bats. Carson pushed the SVSU lead to 3-0 with his RBI base hit that scored Derrek Clyde and moved Adam Fitzgibbon to third base. He would score on the next at bat as Winters recorded his second hit of the night. The Cardinals finished the inning up 5-0 after Garrett Soule drove in Carson from second base. 

SVSU kept Carson-Newman off the score sheet after four innings, leading the Eagles 6-0 after tacking on a run in the top half of the frame. 

The Cardinals finished up the scoring in the sixth inning as two runs came home off a fielding error from Carson-Newman. 

Carrying an 8-0 lead into the seventh and final inning, the Cardinals were able to secure its first win of the season despite allowing four runs to score in the bottom half of the inning. SVSU pulled out an 8-4 victory on Carson-Newman and split the doubleheader with the Eagles. 

Inside the Boxscore

• Eight different Cardinals recorded a base hit in the second half of the doubleheader. SVSU had 11 base hits and scored eight runs off of Carson-Newman pitching. 
• Chad Carson had a multi-hit game for the Cardinals, finishing the game 2-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs. 
• Derrek Clyde also closed the doubleheader with another solid performance at the dish. He was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. 
• Collin Winters scored two runs as well for SVSU and added in two base hits and a walk. 
• Trevor Friday (1-0) recorded the win for the Cardinals by going six innings and only allowing one base hit. He allowed three runs scored (none earned) and struck-out 10 batters. 

Up Next...

SVSU looks for the series split on Sunday afternoon against the Eagles. The series-ending game with the Eagles will take place at Silver Diamond beginning at 1:00 p.m. 

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