Site: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Farmers Athletic Complex)
Game 1 Score: Davenport 4, Saint Xavier 2
WP: Anderson (2-1), LP: Vachon (0-3), Save: Butzer (3)
Game 2 Score: Saint Xavier 4, Davenport 3
WP: Klein (1-1), LP: Schuiling (1-2), Save: None
Records: DU (16-9), SXU (5-13)
Next DU event: Wednesday, March 26 – at Cornerstone – DH (Grand Rapids, Mich.) – 4 p.m.
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport baseball team had to dig itself out of a hole in both games against Saint Xavier on cold Saturday afternoon at the Farmers Athletic Complex. A three-run fourth inning helped the Panthers take game one over the Cougars 4-2, but a late opportunity to tie game two came up short as Saint Xavier held on to win the evening cap 4-3. Davenport returns to Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play next week starting with a short road trip to crosstown rival Cornerstone Wednesday at 4 p.m.
 
Despite walking five batters, Jordan Anderson (2-1) fanned 12 to match the school's single-game record set by Brandon Romero against Goshen March 30, 2010. The senior left-hander finished going 6 1/3 allowing an earned run and four hits to pick up the game-one victory.
 
EJ Grochowalski finished with two hits on the afternoon including a key RBI triple in game two. Zack Sardellitti also had the only extra-base hit on the day, stretching a double in game one.
 
Game 1 – Davenport 4, Saint Xavier 2
Davenport (16-9) found it trailing 2-0 after the Cougars (5-13) used a two-out walk and back-to-back singles to drive in the first run. SXU then benefited a Davenport error to bring across the second run the following inning.
 
The Panthers erased that deficit in the fourth inning when Brendan Bender led off with a single to short, advanced to second on Grochowalski's groundout and scored on Sardellitti's double to right center. After a ground out moved courtesy runner Hank Van Ooyen to third and Jordan Scumann drew a walk, the Panthers tied the game using a double steal to score the second run. The Cougars lost the lead when a fielding error allowed Schuman to score from second.
 
An insurance policy was collected in the sixth inning when Sardellitti drew a leadoff walk and Van Ooyen found his way home with a sacrifice bunt, a groundout and a wild pitch.
 
Anderson got himself into a minor jam trying to close out the game. After retiring the leadoff hitter, he walked the next two. Ryan Butzer relieved the southpaw and in one pitch, a groundball to second set up a game-ending double play.
 
Game 2 – Saint Xavier 4, Davenport 3
The Cougars took a 3-0 lead after using three hits including a triple to score one run in the third and a leadoff walk and a RBI single in the fourth. The Panthers cut the deficit to one in their half of the fourth when Bender drew a leadoff walk and scored on Grochowalski's three-bagger to the right field fence. A groundout by Eric Cummings was enough for Grochowalski to score the second run.
 
Saint Xavier's lead disappeared one inning later when Zac Wilson hit a two out single to right and scored on back-to-back hits by Bender and Grochowalski.
 
The tie was broken up by Saint Xavier in the seventh when Alex Schuiling (1-2) surrendered a leadoff single for his only outing. Jonathan Cheshire tried to hold the runner but the Saints loaded the bases with another single and an intentional walk. The Panthers tried to escape the threat with a double play ball but came up short on the throw to first, allowing the Cougars to take a 4-3 lead.
 
Davenport caught a break in the home half of the seventh when Jordan Zylstra led off reaching on a throwing error by the pitcher. The error allowed Zylstra to move into scoring position and Derek Dennis sacrifice bunt moved him to third. The freshman took off on contact to first but the first baseman's throw home was in time. Bender hit into a fielder's choice to close the game.
 
Baseball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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