Allendale, Mich. – A new team record in strikeouts was set on Saturday when Saginaw Valley State University faced Grand Valley State University in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader. The Cardinal pitching staff in 2022 had 379 strikeouts to set the team single season record which didn't stand for a single season as the 2023 Cardinals have punched out 387. Saginaw Valley (26-22, 16-13) split the doubleheader with Grand Valley (28-18, 15-14) winning the first game in seven innings with a score of 5-1 and losing the second in nine innings 12-11.
The power has started the show the last few weeks of the season and SVSU hit a solo home run in each of the first three innings to start Saturday's games. Jaccar Watkins hit his second in as many days giving him three on the year, Reed Raymond blasted number four on the season, and Tucker Roe hit his second to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead in the third. The scoring didn't stop in that inning. Watkins singled and Colin Cornwell doubled before Austin Schweiger singled home Watkins and Raymond singled home Cornwell to make it 5-0.
Hunter Merillat (W, 6-1) pitched six innings allowing one unearned run and six hits while striking out four. His third strike out of the game set the team record as their 380th of the season. All five runs for SVSU went against Laker starter Colby Phipps (L, 7-3) who pitched six innings with nine hits against. Nick Bastian pitched a scoreless seventh inning allowing one hit.
The second game started with a much bigger first inning. A Roe single and walks by Watkins and Colin Cornwell loaded the bases. Schweiger singled to score a run, Martin Money grounded out to drive in one, Raymond hit a sacrifice fly to score a third, before a two-RBI single by Connor McClennen put up five runs to start the game.
The explosive offense carried over to the bottom of the first for Grand Valley who took advantage of walks and scored six in their half to take a 6-5 lead. Cardinal starter Ryan Adams (2-3) didn't start the second allowing six runs on three hits and three walks. The runs continued in the second with Schweiger doubling home Cornwell to tie the game.
JJ Arbini pitched three innings in relief striking out two and allowing three runs on three hits and three walks. The Lakers took a 9-6 lead in the third. SVSU took two back in the fourth with a Money sacrifice fly and a Raymond RBI single and tied it in the fifth with a Colin Cornwell single.
Chase Gruno pitched three innings following Arbini. He struck out three allowing one run on one hit and one walk. A Laker home run in the sixth gave them a 10-9 lead. The back-and-forth game continued in the seventh as Schweiger singled home Watkins to even it up. Reed Raymond (L, 0-2) moved from left field to the mound in the eighth. The Lakers took another one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth looking to split the doubleheader. With two outs in the ninth, Schweiger singled, Brendan Conkle walked, and Raymond singled to left to score Schweiger making it 11-11. Grand Valley stopped the heroics though with a two out double and a single to win in walk off fashion in the ninth 12-11.
Schweiger went 6-for10 with five hits in game two, McClennen finished 4-for-8 with all four hits in the second game, Colin Cornwell had a 4-for-8 day, and Roe finished 3-for-10.
UP NEXT
One last game between these two clubs before getting ready for the GLIAC tournament. With the current standings, the Cardinals and Lakers will play each other first in the tournament with the final game of the season determining who will be the third seed and be the home team. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. at GVSU Baseball Field in Allendale.
