TIFFIN, Ohio – The Saginaw Valley State University baseball team erased a four-run deficit with a six-run eighth inning but surrendered three runs in the bottom of the ninth in an 11-10 loss at Tiffin on Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals (9-8) used 10 pitchers in the contest against the Dragons (5-10).

Tiffin struck quickly in the first inning with a two-run home run from Adam Deitschel and a solo shot from Brayden Clark to take a 3-0 lead. The Dragons added two more in the third on Clark's second homer of the day to extend the advantage to 5-2.

Saginaw Valley answered in the third. Chase Miller (Walkerton, Ind. / John Glenn HS) drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an RBI single by Lucas Mead (Gladwin, Mich. / Gladwin HS). Buck Snabes (Rochester, Mich. / Rochester Adams HS) followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2. In the fourth, Ethan Scheib (Mattawan, Mich. / Mattawan HS) delivered a two-out, two-run single through the right side, scoring Miller and Austin Cicerone (Troy, Mich. / Troy HS) to bring SVSU within one with a 5-4 score.

The Dragons extended their lead with single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, highlighted by a solo home run from Michael Patellis and an RBI single from Dylan Ruhe, building an 8-4 advantage.

After being held scoreless from the fifth through the seventh, the Cardinal offense erupted in the eighth. Aaron Bess (Boyne City, Mich. / Boyne City HS) doubled to start the rally and scored on a Jacob Pitt (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Catholic Central HS) RBI single. Pinch hitter Jack Sequin (Bay City, Mich. / Bay City Western HS) followed with a base hit, and Connor Cornwell (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Henry Ford II HS) worked a walk to load the bases. Miller drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run before Mead laced a two-run single to left, tying the game at 8-8. Snabes then delivered the biggest swing of the inning, doubling to right field to plate Mead and Miller and give SVSU a 10-8 lead.

Steve Getts (L, 0-1) (Walled Lake, Mich. / Walled Lake Central HS) came in in the ninth after a scoreless 1.1 innings from Dan Wilcome (Cheboygan, Mich. / Cheboygan Area HS). An error was sandwiched between two outs to continue the inning. Then, a double and a hit batter loaded the bases before all three were driven in on a double to win the game for Tiffin.

Mead led the Cardinals offensively, finishing 2-for-5 with three RBI. Snabes went 1-for-3 with three RBI, while Scheib added two RBI. Miller scored three times and drove in one run. Bess recorded a double as part of SVSU's seven-hit effort.

Up Next: Saginaw Valley has the rest of the week off and heads on the road to start GLIAC play. The Cardinals play the Purdue Northwest Pride with a four-game series starting Friday, March 20.