AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team returned to the RussMatt Invitational to take on Dordt University (NAIA) Monday in Auburndale, Fla.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and carried a 3-1 lead into the seventh. The Defenders rallied with four in the top of the seventh to take their first lead of the game before SVSU answered to tie the contest at 5-5 in the bottom half.
After Dordt went in front with a run in the eighth, SVSU tied the score in the bottom of the ninth with one run to set up extra innings. Dordt found a two-run double in the 10th to take the lead and held on for an 8-6 win.
The loss drops SVSU to 2-2 overall this season.
Hayden Jatsczak got the scoring started for SVSU with an RBI single in the first, followed by a one-run single later in the inning from Todd Paperd. Connor McClennen made it 3-1 in favor of SVSU in the fourth with an RBI single.
Down 5-3 in the seventh, the Cardinals took advantage of a Dordt error to score two and tie the game. Dordt retook the lead with a run on an error by SVSU in the eighth. The Cardinals found the tying run on a passed ball in the ninth before the Defenders scored two in the 10th to secure the win.
Martin Money led the SVSU offense with three hits, while Thomas Loftus, Jatczak, and McClennen each added two hits.
Christopher Schmees got the start on the mound for the Cardinals, allowing one run on five hits while walking three and striking out six in four innings. The loss was charged to Kyle Henigan (0-1) in relief.
SVSU will play next against Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Wayne State University at 1 pm Thursday in Auburndale, Fla., in a nonconference contest.
