UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball program continued its GLIAC series against Wayne State on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader at home. The Cardinals (21-12, 6-5 GLIAC) took game one with a 4-1 win before falling in game two, 13-2, to the Warriors (18-17, 7-3 GLIAC).
Jack Decker (W, 8-0) pitched six strong innings in game one, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out four. Jake Shelagowski (Sv, 7) secured his GLIAC-leading seventh save of the season with a scoreless seventh inning, issuing one walk and inducing a double play to face the minimum. The Cardinals recorded five hits in the opener and just one in the nightcap, with Ryan Jarvis providing the only multi-hit performance of the day—a single in game one and a double in game two.
Game One: SVSU 4, WSU 1
SVSU struck early with two runs in the first inning. Buck Snabes drove in Ethan Scheib with a sacrifice fly to right field, and Jordan Lewis followed with an RBI single to score Jarvis.
Wayne State responded with a solo home run in the third to cut the lead in half, but the Cardinals answered in the bottom of the inning. Grant Richardson came through with a two-RBI single, plating Lucas Mead and Austin Cicerone to extend the lead to 4-1.
After giving up the home run, Decker retired the next nine batters. Shelagowski entered in the seventh, issued a leadoff walk, then closed the game with a double play and a groundout.
Game Two: SVSU 2, WSU 13
Two big innings by Wayne State proved to be the difference in game two. SVSU opened the scoring again, with Jarvis doubling in Scheib, then scoring on a double steal attempt combined with an error, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
JJ Arbini (L, 5-2) struck out seven over 3.1 innings but allowed eight runs—five earned—on four hits and eight walks. After a strong start, Wayne State capitalized on a defensive error in the third, scoring five to take the lead. The Warriors followed with a seven-run fourth inning, featuring a solo home run, multiple walks, and a flurry of hits. Steve Getts came on in relief, but WSU added six more runs to make it 12-2.
Ryan Adams pitched a scoreless fifth inning, allowing one walk and striking out two. Ben Kochany took over in the sixth and worked two innings, surrendering one run on three hits and two walks while striking out two.
Wayne State added its final run on a double steal with runners on the corners. The runner at first retreated safely on the throw, allowing the runner from third to score, extending the lead to 13-2.
After getting the first three batters on base in the opening inning, the Cardinals struggled against Warriors starter Braylon Laroo (W, 3-0), who retired the next 21 batters in order.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley has already earned a series split with two wins in the first three games against Wayne State. The series finale is scheduled for 12:00 PM EDT on Sunday, April 13. Before the game, SVSU baseball and softball will host an Easter Egg Hunt in Lot C starting at 10:30 AM EDT. All children in grades K–8 receive free admission to the game.
