UNIVERISTY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program hosted Roosevelt Saturday afternoon for game two of four of the weekend. The Cardinals (12-6, 1-1 GLIAC) defeated the Lakers (6-14, 1-1 GLIAC) with a final score of 16-3.
Grant Richardson showcased both power and speed, tallying two triples while scoring two runs and driving in three. Brady Carpenter, Ethan Scheib, and Lucas Mead also recorded multi-hit games, with Mead extending his on-base streak to 17 games.
Jack Decker (W, 5-0) earned the win after pitching five innings, allowing three runs on six hits, while issuing four walks and striking out three. Henry Stempky followed with three scoreless innings in relief, surrendering just two walks while striking out one.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the board, erupting for five runs in the first inning. SVSU had only scored four first-inning runs across their first 16 contests. A bases-loaded walk to Mead and an RBI groundout from Buck Snabes put the Cardinals ahead 2-0. Richardson then crushed his first triple of the game, driving in Mead and Austin Cicerone to double the lead. He later scored on a wild pitch, pushing the advantage to 5-0.
SVSU extended its lead in the second and third innings. A passed ball allowed Cicerone to score, and an error brought home Snabes, making it 7-0. In the third, a ground-ball double play plated Scheib, giving the Cardinals an eight-run cushion. The next five runs of the game came without a hit, as Roosevelt pushed three across via a groundout, a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch, while Saginaw Valley answered with a run-scoring fielder's choice and an error.
Stempky took over in the sixth and worked efficiently, throwing just 39 pitches over three scoreless innings. The Cardinals added to their lead in the seventh with Richardson's second triple of the game, scoring another run. In the eighth, SVSU tacked on five more runs, highlighted by an RBI single from Snabes and a two-run single from Mitchell Walters.
Carter Woody made his Cardinal debut in the ninth inning, striking out the first batter he faced. After an error, the Cardinals' defense turned a game-ending double play to seal the victory.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley looks to secure its first GLIAC series win of the year on Sunday, March 23, when they host Roosevelt for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11:00 AM EDT at the SVSU Baseball Complex.
