UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team split its Friday doubleheader with No. 6 Grand Valley State at the SVSU Baseball Complex, falling 6-1 in the opener before responding with a thrilling 2-1 upset victory in game two. The Cardinals (20-17, 9-9 GLIAC) received a brilliant relief performance from Jack Decker (Farmington Hills, Mich. / North Farmington HS) to knock off the Lakers (31-7, 11-3 GLIAC).
Game One: Cardinals 1, Lakers 6 (7-innings)
Grand Valley State took control early in the first contest, scoring twice in the second inning on a pair of RBI singles to take a 2-0 lead.
Saginaw Valley cut into the deficit in the third when Austin Cicerone (Troy, Mich. / Troy HS) launched a solo home run to left field, his third of the season, trimming the margin to 2-1.
The Lakers answered with a two-run double down the right field line in the fifth before adding insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to extend the advantage to 6-1.
Ryan Jarvis (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota HS) recorded two hits for the Cardinals, including a double, while Cicerone accounted for the lone RBI. Nathan Masar (L, 3-3) (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek HS) took the loss after tossing five innings. Ryan Walters (South Lyon, Mich. / South Lyon HS) pitched two strong innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out one. Entering in the sixth with the bases loaded and no outs, Walters limited the damage and allowed just one inherited runner to score as GVSU finished with 10 hits.
Game Two: Cardinals 2, Lakers 1
The nightcap belonged to Saginaw Valley from the outset. In the bottom of the first, Lucas Mead (Gladwin, Mich. / Gladwin HS) singled and Jarvis followed with a base hit to set the table for Buck Snabes (Rochester, Mich. / Rochester Adams HS), who ripped a two-run double to left-center to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Jarvis finished the game 3-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases.
Grand Valley answered with a run in the third on an RBI single, but that would be the only damage against the Cardinal pitching staff.
Brady Young started and allowed one run over 2.2 innings before handing the ball to Decker (W, 3-1), who delivered a dominant 6.1 innings of relief. Decker scattered three hits, walked two, and shut down the sixth-ranked Lakers the rest of the way.
The Cardinals leaned on their defense late. Back-to-back leadoff doubles in the seventh and eighth innings were erased as SVSU turned a double play in the seventh and forced unproductive outs in the eighth to strand the tying run. In the ninth, Aaron Bess (Boyne City, Mich. / Boyne City HS) secured all three outs in right field, including a diving catch to open the inning and the final putout to seal the upset.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley baseball continues the series against No. 6 Grand Valley State tomorrow, Saturday, April 18. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 PM from the SVSU Baseball Complex. Senior Day has been moved to Sunday, taking place at 11:30 AM before first pitch at noon.
