UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program hosted Hillsdale College Tuesday afternoon and lost 18-17. The Cardinals (10-4) had their final three games in Arizona rained out and scheduled another game against the Chargers (4-8) with the originally scheduled meeting being on Wednesday.
SVSU totaled 17 runs on 16 hits but fell by one run giving up five runs in both the eighth and ninth innings. The Cardinals got three-hit performances from Ausin Cicerone, Reed Raymond, and Austin Schweiger with two-hit games from Colin Cornwell and Hayden Jatczak. Jatczak walked three times as well and led the team with five RBI and four runs scored. Hillsdale hit seven home runs as the game had six lead changes and one tie. Saginaw Valley held leads at 6-1, 11-8, and 17-13.
Hillsdale cracked the scoreboard first with a run in the first inning off Saginaw Valley starter Tyler McLaren. McLaren went four innings allowing seven runs, six earned, on seven hits and two walks. He struck out four batters adding to the 11 total for Cardinal pitching.
The Cardinals took the lead in the bottom of the first with a Raymond RBI single and Cicerone RBI double to make it 2-1. They extended their lead in the second taking advantage of a fielding error that scored Jaccar Watkins. Jatczak blasted his fourth home run of the season to make it 5-1 before a Raymond double scored Col. Cornwell and made it a five-run game. All six runs were taxed to Hillsdale started Daniel Higdon who pitching two innings and allowed five hits and two walks.
Two runs in the third and four in the fourth for the Chargers put them up 7-6 and wrapped up McLaren's day. Schweiger doubled down the left field line in the bottom half of the inning to give SVSU the one-run advantage before Jackson Decker took over on the mound in the fifth. Decker pitched three innings allowing one run on one hit and three walks. He also struck out four Chargers. A solo home run off Decker tied the game in the fifth 8-8.
In the sixth, Cicerone delivered another RBI with a single up the middle and Schwieger drove home two more with another two-RBI double to make it 11-8 Cardinals. The eighth was a momentum swing for Hillsdale. Three pitchers were used by SVSU and all of them pitched 0.1 innings. Carson Bassett gave up four runs on two hits before Matt Montroy gave up a hit and got an out. JJ Arbini (L, 0-2) got the final out of the inning. The damage was done and the Chargers led 13-11.
SVSU took advantage in the bottom of the eighth as they had four hit-by-pitches. Jatczak doubled to score three and Col. Cornwell and Cicerone followed up with RBI singles to put Saginaw Valley back on top 17-13.
The ninth was yet another swing. Arbini couldn't get an out and was slated with five runs, three earned, against with three walks and a hit. Five more runs came across to score for the Chargers as they took an 18-17 lead. Brandon Scott (W, 1-1) got the sloppy win with three runs against on four hits through 0.2 innings pitched and Andrew George (Sv, 2) closed the game in the ninth with a clean inning.
After the tough loss, SVSU baseball is back against Hillsdale with a 3:00 PM EST first pitch start on Wednesday.
