UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team hosted Hillsdale College on Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals (18-7) fell to the Chargers (14-14) by a final score of 3-2. SVSU loaded the bases in the ninth but failed to bring in the tying run.

Ethan Scheib reached base three times with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Lucas Mead extended his on-base streak to 23 games with a 1-for-3 performance, driving in one run. Aaron Bess also reached base twice, going 1-for-2 with a walk.

Will Juday (L, 0-1) started and pitched four innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out one. The Cardinals' bullpen was solid, with Daniel Wilcome tossing three scoreless innings and striking out four. Ben Kochany followed with a scoreless frame, recording one strikeout, before Nathan Masar retired the side in order in the ninth with two strikeouts.

Hillsdale got on the board first with two runs in the third inning, capitalizing on a leadoff error. The Chargers extended their lead in the fourth with an RBI groundout to make it 3-0. The Cardinals responded in the sixth, taking advantage of defensive miscues. Back-to-back fielding errors put two runners on for SVSU before Mead and Jordan Lewis drove in runs with sacrifice flies, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

SVSU threatened again in the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but a double play ended the inning, preserving Hillsdale's lead. In the ninth, a leadoff walk was followed by a sacrifice bunt and a flyout. A walk and a hit-by-pitch then loaded the bases, but the Cardinals couldn't capitalize as a fly ball to right field ended the game.

Up Next: Saginaw Valley returns to GLIAC play this weekend after five nonconference games. The Cardinals travel to No. 23 Grand Valley on Friday to open a four-game series. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM on April 4 at the GVSU Baseball Field in Allendale, Michigan.