AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team wrapped up their spring trip Saturday morning, playing Minnesota Crookston in the RussMatt Invitational. The Cardinals (9-7) built a five-run lead before a big sixth inning from the Golden Eagles (10-7) propelled them ahead for a 15-5 win.
Saginaw Valley struck first in the fourth inning. Austin Cicerone (Troy, Mich. / Troy HS) drew a walk and Buck Snabes (Rochester, Mich. / Rochester Adams HS) followed with a single before Jacob Pitt (Grand Rapids, Mich. Catholic Central HS) delivered an RBI single to score Cicerone and give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals added four more in the fifth to extend the advantage to 5-0. Aaron Bess (Boyne City, Mich. / Boyne City HS) doubled down the right field line and later scored on an RBI single from Ryan Jarvis (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota HS). After a sacrifice bunt from Cicerone moved runners into scoring position, Snabes singled to shortstop, driving in a run while Jarvis scored on the throw. Connor Cornwell (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Henry Ford II HS) later reached on an error, allowing another run to score and cap the four-run frame.
Chase Raymond (Standish, Mich. / Standish Sterling Central HS) was sharp in his start, tossing four shutout innings while allowing just one hit and striking out four.
Minnesota Crookston broke through in the fifth with a run before erupting for 13 runs in the sixth inning. The Golden Eagles capitalized on seven hits, five walks, three hit batters, and multiple wild pitches in the inning to take control of the game.
Snabes led the Cardinals offensively, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Jarvis finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Pitt added a hit and a run driven in. Bess recorded a double as part of SVSU's eight-hit effort.
Ryan Walters (L, 0-1) (South Lyon, Mich. / South Lyon HS) was charged with the loss, pitching one inning in the appearance. Sam Briggs (Linwood, Mich. / Standish HS), Ethan Marshall (Marlette, Mich. / Marlette HS), Steve Getts (Walled Lake, Mich. / Walled Lake Central HS), and Brady Baalaer (Macomb, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse HS North) all appeared out of the pen as well. Relief pitcher Jake Jaroszewski (W, 1-0) pitched the final three innings and matched Raymond as the only two pitchers to not allow a run.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley heads back on the road on Tuesday, March 10 to play Tiffin. The Cardinals and Dragons are set for a 3:00 PM first pitch at The Paradiso Athletic Fields in Tiffin, Ohio. After a weekend off, SVSU heads to Purdue Northwest to start their first GLIAC series on Friday, March 20.
