LANSING, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team won the first elimination game of the GLIAC Tournament Friday morning against Roosevelt. The Cardinals (30-21) defeated the Lakers (15-36) with a 6-1 final score as JJ Arbini (W, 7-3) nearly pitched a complete game.

Arbini pitched 8.2 stellar innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out six. Nathan Masar entered in the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs and retired the only batter he faced to seal the win.

Ryan Jarvis paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Ethan Scheib and Jordan Lewis each added multi-hit performances, both going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Scheib also scored twice. Connor Cornwell finished 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring both times he reached base.

Saginaw Valley opened the scoring with a three-run third inning. Cornwell led off with a double, and Scheib drove him in with an RBI single. Scheib later scored on an Austin Cicerone sacrifice fly, and Jarvis came home on an RBI single from Lewis, making it 3-0.

Roosevelt scored its lone run in the top of the fourth on a hit and an error, resulting in an unearned run charged to Arbini. SVSU responded in the bottom of the inning, as Scheib delivered another RBI single and later scored on a double steal attempt, crossing home plate before Cicerone was tagged out between first and second to extend the lead to 5-1.

The Cardinals added an insurance run in the seventh when Lewis doubled home Lucas Mead. Arbini continued to dominate until the ninth, when a hit batter and two walks loaded the bases. Masar then entered and induced a ground ball to shortstop to end the game.

Up Next: Saginaw Valley continues its GLIAC Tournament run on Saturday, May 10. The Cardinals will face the loser of the Grand Valley vs. Wayne State game, which takes place Thursday, May 9 at 7:00 PM.