UTICA, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team exploded for 15 runs on 12 hits Wednesday afternoon, defeating Tiffin 15-6 at UWM Field. The Cardinals (17-13) stole 15 bases in the game, rebreaking their single-game GLIAC record set earlier this season of 13 steals. The team is one stolen base away from tying the single-season program record of 115 stolen bases with 19 games remaining. SVSU combined for three home runs hitting a long ball in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.
Tiffin struck first with three runs in the top of the opening frame, but Saginaw Valley responded immediately with a six-run bottom of the first to seize control. After Brady Carpenter (Oxford, Mich. / Oxford HS) was hit by a pitch and swiped second, the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs. Jacob Pitt (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Catholic Central HS) and Connor Cornwell (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Henry Ford II HS) each drew RBI walks to cut the deficit to 3-2. Mitchell Walters (Shepherd, Mich. / Shepherd HS) followed with a game-tying RBI single before a wild pitch brought home Pitt to give SVSU the lead. Ethan Scheib (Mattawan, Mich. / Mattawan HS) capped the rally with a two-run single to left, putting the Cardinals ahead 6-3 after one.
Tiffin added single runs in the second and third to trim the lead to 6-5, but the Cardinals answered in the bottom of the third. Austin Cicerone (Troy, Mich. / Troy HS) launched a first pitch solo home run to left, his second of the year. Carpenter later scored on a Lucas Mead (Gladwin, Mich. / Gladwin HS) RBI single to stretch the advantage to 8-5.
The offense continued to roll in the fourth when Pitt crushed a solo home run to right-center, his fourth of 2026, making it 9-5. The decisive blow came in the fifth inning as SVSU plated five runs. Mead delivered a three-run homer to left field to score Carpenter and Scheib with his fourth long ball of the season. Later in the inning, Buck Snabes (Rochester, Mich. / Rochester Adams HS) singled home Ryan Jarvis (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota HS) and Cornwell added an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 14-5.
After Tiffin hit a solo homer in the seventh, the Cardinals answered once more in the bottom half. Snabes doubled down the right field line and stole third before Zane Wilson (Clarkston, Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) grounded out to first to drive him in for the final 15-6 margin.
Mead led the offense with a 2-for-5 performance and four RBI. Carpenter, Snabes, and Pitt also had two-hit games. All nine starters for SVSU reached base in the game.
On the mound, Ryan Walters (W, 1-1) (South Lyon, Mich. / South Lyon HS) earned the win after tossing the opening inning. Henry Stempky (Cheboygan, Mich. / Cheboygan HS) delivered 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, and Aaron Bess (Boyne City, Mich. / Boyne City HS) struck out four over two innings. Will Juday (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Portage Central HS) closed the game with a clean ninth inning as SVSU's staff combined for 12 strikeouts. Hayden Bush (L, 1-1) took the loss with five runs allowed after retiring one batter and walking three.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley get back into GLIAC play this weekend heading back down I-75 to play Wayne State. The Cardinals and Warriors start the four-game series on Friday, March 10 with first pitch at 3:00 PM from Harwell Baseball Field.
