CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program started the 2024 season with a double header Sunday against the University of Findlay. The Cardinals (1-1) fell in eight innings 13-6 in game one before winning the second game 8-5 against the Oilers (1-1).
Big games for Hayden Jatczak and Colin Cornwell as Jatczak went 4-for-7 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored while Cornwell went 3-for-6 with two RBI, two runs scored, and two walks. Connor Cornwell played in game two and went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored as well.
SVSU got on the board early in the season opener with a three spot in the bottom of the first. Austin Schweiger doubled to left field scoring Colin Cornwell and Jatczak before scoring on an error later in the inning to make it 3-0.
Tyler McLaren started the game throwing six innings and striking out four while allowing five runs. The Oilers chipped away with a solo home run in the top of the second an RBI single in the third. Schweiger tallied another RBI in the third reaching on a fielder's choice and scoring Jatczak again to make it 4-2 Saginaw Valley. Connor McClennen added his name to the stat sheet with an RBI single to right in the fourth scoring Ethan Scheib and extending the lead to 5-2.
Findlay went on to score two in the fifth and one in the sixth to tie the game and force extra innings in after a scoreless frame in the seventh. Reed Raymond (L, 0-1) took over on the mound in the seventh with a clean inning before the Oilers exploded in the eighth. Eight runs capped off with a three-run home run put UF up 13-5. Jaccar Watkins drove Schweiger in with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, but that was it for the 13-6 win for Findlay in game one.
The roles reversed in game two with the Oilers scoring in the first with an RBI double. The lead was short lived as Schweiger doubled home Jatczak to tie the game and Reed Raymond drove in Colin Cornwell with an RBI ground out for the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.
The Cardinals extended the lead in the next inning with a two-run single for Jatczak scoring Connor Cornwell and Brady Carpenter making it 4-1. Colin Cornwell singled home Brandon Scheurer in the next at-bat to make it a four-run game.
Steven Hecht (W, 1-0) pitched four innings with three punch outs and gave up three runs. Findlay scored two in the third to halve the lead before Nick Bastian donned the mound in the fifth. Bastian pitched two innings with a strike out and allowing one run. Findlay scored that run in the fifth, but the Cardinals put up two of their own in their half the inning with a wild pitch and sacrifice fly and then Colin Cornwell tripled home a run in the sixth to make it 8-4 SVSU.
JJ Arbini came in for the seventh and gave up one run while striking out one as Saginaw Valley got their first win with a final score of 8-5.
The Cardinals and Oilers are back at it on Monday with another double header to wrap up the four-game series. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 PM from Chillicothe, Ohio.