CALEDONIA, Mich. - It was the home opener on Friday for the Davenport baseball team, but Saginaw Valley State played spoiler with a pair of wins by scores of 3-2 and 10-7. The Cardinals remain hot improving to 6-1 in the GLIAC, while the Panthers are currently 2-4 in the conference.
The first game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel as the Cardinals scored on an unearned run in the third inning and then the teams went scoreless until the seventh inning. The Panthers had a pickoff in place during the third inning but a throwing error at third went into the runner and allowed the run to score.
Carson Fischer and Hayden Jatczak were matching zeroes on the scoreboard until the seventh inning. Brandon Scheurer was hit by a pitch to leadoff the top of the seventh and then Jatczak helped his own cause in a big way with a two-run blast to left for a 3-0 lead. That ended the day for Fischer and
Jack Snow entered. The Cardinals would then load the bases but a fielder's choice ended any further damage.
DU finally got to Jatczak in the bottom of the seventh.
Tyler Mosher doubled down the left field line to leadoff the inning and
Nikolas Clark pinch ran at second. With one out,
Connor Hnilo drew a walk and
Josh Robinson worked a seven-pitch walk to load the bases.
Xander Reisbig grounded out to Jatczak to score a run and advanced the runners to second and third with two outs.
Tyler McKinstry pinch hit and had an infield single to keep the game alive and make it 3-2. On a 3-1 count,
Michael Tchavdarov popped up in foul territory to end the game.
Fischer took the tough luck loss in six innings of work and allowed five hits and two earned runs. He was able to strike out six but struggled at times with five walks. Jatczak also walked five and fanned four in seven innings improving to 4-0 on the mound this season.
There were more offensive fireworks in game two and Scheurer proved to be lethal for the Cardinals with three triples and three runs scored. Jatczak went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. Reed Raymond went 4-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Austin Schweiger had two triples going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
SVSU scored four runs in the top of the third inning and Davenport answered with four of their own in the bottom of the fourth.
Carson Price was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the first RBI.
Jared Evans had an infield RBI single and
Logan Todd tied the game with a two-run single up the middle.
The same thing happened in the fifth inning as both teams scored two runs. Price had a RBI double down the left field line and Todd followed with a RBI double in the same location. Colin Cornwell gave SVSU a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly. Jatczak started a three-run rally in the eighth inning with a RBI single. Schweiger delivered a RBI triple and Raymond had a sacrifice fly for a 10-6 lead.
The Panthers added one more run in the ninth inning as Evans had a RBI single which scored Tchavdarov. Reisbig and Evans each had three hits to lead the Panthers. Tchavdarov went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, two walks and three runs scored. Todd led the team with three RBI. Tyler McLaren (3-1) got the win for the Cardinals despite giving up 11 hits and six earned runs.
Jared Schwartz (0-3) took the loss in relief going three innings and allowing six hits and two earned runs.
The Panthers are back on the diamond tomorrow against Parkside in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM.
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