March 28, 2004
Baseball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SVSU WINS A PAIR OF GAMES VERSUS HILLSDALE AS PATTERSON SMACKS A PINCH-HIT, WALK-OFF HOMER IN GAME ONE

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – For the third straight game, the Cardinals and Chargers battled to the final at-bat in game one on Sunday. The Cardinals would come out on top, 6-5, in the bottom of the eighth inning on a pinch-hit, walk-off homer by freshman Danny Patterson (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central). Patterson's first collegiate homer was a big one after Hillsdale took a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth. Jon Straus (Beal City, Mich.) led off the inning with a double and a Mike Crawford (Lake Orion, Mich.) sacrifice bunt moved Straus to third with one out. Patterson roped the one-out homer for the decisive tally. SVSU built a 4-0 lead through three innings only to see Hillsdale score four times in the visiting fourth inning. SVSU gathered 12 hits, including four extra base hits. Leadoff hitter Ryo Tahara (Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview) was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Sophomore Jason Burghardt (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) collected two hits, including his sixth double and drove in two runs. Jeff Schulz (Detroit, Mich./Catholic Central) picked up his second win in relief throwing in the eighth and allowing one earned run. Scott Schlaff (Warren, Mich./Mott) started in the game for SVSU and pitched 6.2 innings allowing four hits and striking out eight Chargers.
    The Cardinals jumped out with a three-run first inning in game two and cruised to a 7-0 win in the nightcap. Freshman Jesse Thompson (Muskegon, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) picked up his first collegiate win throwing a complete-game three-hit shutout. Thompson also struck out five as he moves to 1-4. Straus keyed the first inning rally with a two-run homer off starter Kevin Phelan, his third round-tripper. Patterson and Adam Piggott (Sarnia, Ont.) each collected two hits and Tahara was 2-for-3 with an RBI. The Cardinals are now 11-11 overall and 4-4 in the GLIAC. SVSU is back in action on Tuesday, March 30 as they host Aquinas College in a nine-inning game beginning at 2:00 pm.

Contact: Ryan Thompson (989) 964-4053

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