ERIE, PA – League-leading Saginaw Valley State University held onto first place by splitting a double header at Mercyhurst College Saturday.
     The Cardinals halted a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win, then dropped the nightcap 5-4.
     Junior left-hander Tim Goheen (Proton Station, Ontario) improved to 4-0 with the complete-game win for the Cards. He allowed eight hits and one walk, while striking out two. He also picked two runners off first base.
     SVSU had only three hits, but took a 4-2 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Sophomore Chris Ebright (Ithaca) doubled in a run and scored on a ground out by senior Kraig Enders (Sanford/Sanford-Meridian).
     Senior Josh Miller (Whitby, Ontario) and freshman T.J. Lehnertz (Grand Rapids/Catholic Central) had the other Cardinal hits.
     Saginaw Valley battled in the second game, managing only five hits, but a controversial call wound up being the difference.
     Freshman right-hander Justin Young (Flint/Kearsley) took his first collegiate loss, falling to 3-1. He allowed all five runs (four earned), on five hits in three and one-third innings. He fanned three and did not walk a batter.
     Sophomore Mike Condon (Utica) hit a solo homer, his second of the year, to tie the game at 3-3 in the fourth inning.
     But the Lakers scored two in the bottom of the inning. After a base hit to left, senior Joel Dohm (Owosso) appeared to have cut down a runner at the plate with a perfect throw, but the eventual decisive run scored.
     Enders had three hits and an RBI for SVSU, while junior Jason Valenzuela (Ontario, CA) had the other hit.
     Junior righty Ruben Alvarado (Nuevo, CA) shutout the Lakers for the final two and two-thirds innings, on three hits and no walks, while striking out three.
     SVSU is 5-1 in the GLIAC and 14-5 overall, while Mercyhurst dropped to 11-12 overall and 3-3 in the league.
     The two teams complete the four-game series with a double header Sunday at noon.