CALEDONIA, Mich. – The Davenport baseball team opened up Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Friday afternoon with a 7-5 loss to Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals only managed four hits, but scored seven runs on costly errors, walks and hit batsmen. DU pitching walked eight and hit five batters. There were also two errors including a big one in the top of the ninth which led to the winning run. The Panthers dropped their second straight game and are currently 11-5 overall and 1-2 at home.
How it Happened: It was a brisk afternoon with temps in the high 30's and wind chills in the low 30's with stiff winds. The Cardinals started Amani Godrey and the Panthers countered with
Taylor Turner. Godfrey got a 2-0 cushion on his side as SVSU scored two in the top of the first. Craig Wilson had the big hit with a two-out RBI triple to left center.
Davenport responded with four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 4-2 lead. The first run was scored on a throwing error off a bunt by
Nolan Bryant.
Noah Marcoux recorded a RBI groundout to second.
Jake Bozzo had the big hit with a two-RBI single to center to gain the two-run lead.
The Panthers took a 5-2 lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Jimmy Filipski had a sacrifice fly to center to plate the run. The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the sixth with three runs. Derrek Clyde had a two-run scoring single to make it 5-4 and Turner was taken out in favor of
Evan Maize. Jordan Swiss had a RBI fielder's choice to tie it up and the Cardinals stranded two runners on base.
DU had a chance to take a lead into the ninth as
Travis Harvey tripled to right center with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Jacob Buchberger lifted a fly ball to right to end the threat. In the top of the ninth, Adam Turner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and no outs to force in the winning run. SVSU added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Gerrit Eding to center.
Nolan Bryant doubled to start the ninth for Davenport against Swiss who came in to get the save. Swiss recorded the next three outs in order to end the game.
Game Notes: Harvey went 3-for-4 and scored a run. He was the only Panther with multiple hits in the game from the nine spot. The Panthers left nine runners on base for the game. Maize took the loss going to 1-2 despite not giving up a hit in 3.2 innings. John Fantauzzo got the win for SVSU improving to 1-0. He went two innings and allowed one hit with one strikeout.
On Deck: Davenport will continue their weekend series against SVSU with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
