FINDLAY, Ohio – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program traveled to Ohio Tuesday afternoon to play Findlay. The Cardinals (10-5) split the doubleheader against the Oilers (7-8) losing game one in seven innings 11-6 before winning in 14 innings 6-5 in SVSU's longest game in 10 years when they played 15 innings against Northwood in 2015.
Ryan Jarvis led offensively batting 3-for-7 with two RBI and three walks. He also had two doubles, the second scoring the winning run in the top of the 14th inning of game two. Five other Cardinals had multi-hit games with Brady Carpenter, Austin Cicerone Buck Snabes, Grant Richardson, and Chase Raymond recording two hits in a game. The SVSU pitching staff struck out 27 batters, led by Nathan Masar who punched out 10 in five innings of work in second game.
Game One: SVSU 6, UF 11
Ben Kochany (L, 0-3) started the game for Saginaw Valley and did not record an out. He allowed two hits, four walks, and hit a batter and allowed all seven baserunners to score. Will Juday pitched two innings in relief allowing two more runs in the bottom of the first as Findlay stormed in front with a 9-0 lead.
SVSU battled back scoring five in the top of the second. Bess doubled and Raymond singled to put two on. Snabes reached on an error that scored Bess before Connor Cornwell walked to load the bases. Jordan Lewis walked to push home another run to make it 9-2. A fielder's choice cut down the runner at home for the first out before Jarvis was hit by a pitch to score another. Cicerone followed and bounced a ball to the shortstop. The flip to second recorded an out with one run scoring but a wild throw to first broke up the double play and allowed Ethan Scheib to round third and score as well. SVSU scratched across one more run with a Lewis double in the third to score Raymond.
After Juday's two innings, Jacob Bardwell took over to start the third. He pitched one scoreless inning striking out one and walking one. Steve Getts took the mound in the fourth and went 2.1 innings. He allowed one run on a solo home run and struck out a pair. Ethan Marshall donned the mound in the bottom of the sixth with one out and struck out both batters he faced.
Game Two: SVSU 6, UF 5
Both teams emptied the bullpens in the second game with the Cardinals throwing six pitchers and the Oilers throwing 11. Brady Baalaer went four innings in the start allowing one run on two hits and struck out five. Jarvis scored the first run on a fielding error that allowed Mitchell Walters to score in the top of the third. In the bottom half of the inning, the Oilers tied it with an RBI single.
Daniel Wilcome took the mound in the fifth and allowed one run as well over two innings, another RBI single in the fifth to make it 2-1 Findlay. Steve Getts was able to tie the game in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
The Oilers captured the lead back in the seventh scoring one run against Lewis in his one inning of work. They extended their lead to 4-2 scoring an unearned against Masar who took over in the eighth. Masar allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits and two walks while striking out 10 in five innings.
The Cardinals battled in the ninth loading the bases with no outs. Cicerone grounded to second base and Findlay traded two outs for a run to make it 4-3. Lucas Mead walked to bring up Snabes with runners at the corners. He chopped a ball up the third base line that the third baseman couldn't make a play on and drove home the tying run with an RBI single.
After three scoreless extra innings, both teams scored in the 12th with Carpenter singling home Bess. Henry Stempky (W, 1-0) pitched a scoreless 13th inning and gave SVSU the chance to win. Javis drove in the go-ahead run in the 14th with a double to score Carpenter. Findlay singled to start the 14th and stole second and third to put the tying run 90 feet away with one out. The next pitch was flown to center field where Mead caught it and threw home to cut down the runner to win the game.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley baseball is back on the road Wednesday, March 12 as they head to Hillsdale. The Cardinals and the Chargers do battle with first pitch set at 4:00 PM EEDT from Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field in Hillsdale, Michigan.