DAVENPORT, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team continued its Florida Spring Trip with a top-25 matchup against No. 11 Minnesota State-Mankato. The Cardinals (9-4) held 1-0 and 4-3 leads before falling 5-4 to the Mavericks (10-3).
Austin Cicerone (Troy, Mich. / Troy HS) and Buck Snabes (Rochester, Mich. / Rochester Adams HS) both recorded multi-hit games. Lucas Mead (Gladwin, Mich. / Gladwin HS) and Connor Cornwell (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Henry Ford II HS) each added a hit and drew two walks. Mead was also hit by a pitch, reaching base four times on the day. Cicerone and Mead both had run-scoring doubles, including Cicerone's three-run two-bagger in the seventh inning.
SVSU got on the board first after Snabes singled and advanced on an error. In the next at-bat, Mead doubled off the left field fence to bring home the game's first run.
Nathan Masar (Midland, Mich. / Bullock Creek HS) turned in a quality start, tossing 6.2 innings while allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits and four walks. He struck out seven batters. Steve Getts (Walled Lake, Mich. / Walled Lake Central HS) entered in the seventh and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one hit and one walk.
The Mavericks tied the game in the sixth and capitalized on two walks and a hit batter in the seventh. A two-run single by Jake Berkland through the right side of the infield gave MSU a 3-1 lead.
Sam George started for Minnesota State, pitching six innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits and four walks. George was chased in the bottom of the seventh after Aaron Bess (Boyne City, Mich. / Boyne City HS) led off with a single. Brady Nelson entered in relief but faced three batters without recording an out. Snabes singled and Mead walked to load the bases before Cicerone lined a double down the left field line to drive in all three runs, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 advantage.
Saginaw Valley had additional opportunities for insurance but could not add to its lead. Ben Irsfeld (W, 1-0) worked out of multiple jams for the Mavericks, allowing one hit over the final five outs. Dan Wilcome (L, 0-1) (Cheboygan, Mich. / Cheboygan HS) took over in the ninth as Minnesota State tied the game and then claimed the 5-4 lead.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley baseball continues RussMatt Invitational play on Friday, March 6 with a doubleheader. The Cardinals face Wilmington (Del.) at 1:00 PM and Ashland at 4:30 PM at Lake Myrtle Park Field 5 and the Main Field, respectively.
