LANSING, Mich. - The Davenport baseball team is guaranteed at least third place in the 2024 GLIAC Tournament after defeating Purdue Northwest 3-1 in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers picked up their 20th win of the season and will now look for the upset of top-seeded Saginaw Valley State (No. 13 nationally) in another elimination game on Saturday night at 7 PM from Jackson Field. The Cardinals lost their first game of the tournament in the first game on Saturday 2-1 against Grand Valley State.
Austin VanderMarkt (4-3) gave his team a quality start with a season-high seven innings pitched and a season-high seven strikeouts. VanderMarkt allowed just five hits (all singles) and one earned run in 105 pitches.
Cade Kontny closed the door in the eighth and ninth innings retiring all six batters he faced with two strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.
Sam Ochoa (2-6) had an admirable start and went all eighth innings for the Pride. He allowed six hits and two earned runs with two walks and four strikeouts. The game was brisk lasting just two hours.
Josh Robinson was able to drive in two runs for the Panthers. He had a RBI single to score
Connor Hnilo in the first inning and then hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning after Hnilo tripled. The Pride scored once in the seventh inning as Owen Winters had a two-out RBI single on the infield to third base. Cole Olson was the only Pride player with multiple hits going 2-for-3 with a walk. Hnilo finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored as DU managed six hits and Hnilo's triple was the only extra-base hit.
The Panthers are 2-1 against Saginaw Valley State in the GLIAC Tournament all-time and have won the last two matchups. The winner will face Grand Valley State on Sunday and need two wins against the Lakers to hoist the tournament trophy.
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