CALEDONIA, Mich. -
Miko Rodriguez picked a great time for his second home run of the season as he took a 2-0 pitch and launched it over the left field wall for a walk-off, two-run blast in the bottom of the 9th for a 9-7 win over Saginaw Valley State. The Panthers took the season series 4-2 with today's win and improved to 14-19 overall and 8-5 in the GLIAC.
The Panthers led all the way up until the top of the 9th when the Cardinals were able to get to closer
Logan Bursick-Harrington with three runs to tie the game at 7. SVSU had runners on first and second with no outs when a bunt attempt was caught at first base by
Carter Troncin and he got a double play by throwing back to second base to retire Jaccar Watkins. That was a big swing play as Bursick-Harrington then struck out Martin Money to end the inning.
Chase Gruno entered the game in the bottom of the 9th for Saginaw Valley State and got a groundout from
Tyler Mosher.
Logan Hylek then delivered a double to left center to put the winning run in scoring position. Rodriguez allowed pinch runner
Dominick Cowdrey to walk around the next two bases with his walk-off homer.
Bursick-Harrington got his first win of the season in a unique way as he blew the save but got the win thanks to Rodriguez.
James Kohl got the start and gave the Panthers five solid innings. He allowed six hits and four runs with two walks and three strikeouts.
Spencer Vainavicz had three really solid relief innings going three and allowing just one hit and no runs with two walks and three strikeouts.
The Cardinals scored once on a Colin Cornwell double in the 1st, but then Davenport responded against Hunter Merillat with three runs in the bottom of the 1st.
Ben Mets tripled to right center which scored
Caleb Anspaugh and
Gaetano Vallone.
Khale Showers then had a RBI single up the middle for the 3-1 lead.
Showers had another RBI in the 3rd with a his first triple of the season to left center against the wall. Mosher also reached on a fielder's choice and got a RBI when the play was made at the plate and Showers slid in safely for the 5-1 lead.
Kohl gave up three runs in the 4th as the Cardinals trimmed the deficit to 5-4. Connor McClennen had an inside-the-park home run as the ball looked like a routine single but bounced over the head of Vallone and went to the fence. The Panthers got a run back in the 6th as Mets stole second and Anspaugh stole home as the ball was dropped by the catcher.
In the 8th inning, Rodriguez scored on a passed ball for the 7-4 lead. Tucker Roe started the rally for the Cardinals in the 9th with a two-run triple after a pair of walks. Cornwell drove in the tying run with a single to left. Cornwell finished 3-for-5 with two RBI. Davenport had 14 hits with each of the first four batters in order collecting multiple hits. Anspaugh went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Vallone finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a run. Mets went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Showers finished 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
The Panthers will begin a four-game series on the road at Purdue Northwest beginning next Friday with a single-game at 5:00 PM ET.
