ERIE, PA — Defense was the difference in the opening game of the NCAA Division II North Regional Tournament Friday at Jerry Uht Park.
     No. 3 seed Ashland University took advantage of six errors by No. 2 seed Saginaw Valley State University for an 8-4 victory. The defending champions scored only two unearned runs, but took advantage of several misplays by the Cardinals.
     "We didn't play very well," admitted SVSU Coach Walt Head, who led his team to its first-ever NCAA playoff berth. "We lost the ball game and looked like we didn't belong here."
     Junior left-hander Tim Goheen (Proton Station, Ontario) saw his 13-game winning streak snapped as he fell to 11-1 on the year. He allowed 15 hits and seven walks, while striking out seven in his first career 9-inning complete game. He holds the Cardinal record for complete games with 10 this season.
     "That was the worst game he's pitched all year," said Head. "But we gave them four of those runs with our defense."
     SVSU started the game with an infield error on the first batter and mishandled two other balls in the first inning, but got out of the inning without giving up a run.
     An error in the second led to an unearned run by the Eagles, but SVSU tied it in the bottom of the inning on a walk to sophomore Chris Ebright (Ithaca) and a two- out, hit-and-run double by senior Josh Miller (Whitby, Ontario).
     AU came right back with two runs in the third, with an unusual error in right field contributing to the rally. Brian Guzik's double down the right field line bounced into the bullpen and was picked up by Ebright, whose throw into the infield hit a screen that juts out with the stands.
     Five hits by the Eagles led to three more runs in the fourth and a 6-1 lead.
     SVSU also had a potential run negated in the sixth when the first two runners reached base on errors by the shortstop. Jason Valenzuela (Ontario, CA) beat out a double play, but was called out because the runner made contact with the shortstop on his slide into second base, a violation of NCAA rules. Instead of runners at first and third with one out, the Cardinals wound up with a runner on second and two outs. Senior Kraig Enders (Sanford/Sanford- Meridian) flied out to deep left center, that would have driven in the run.
     The Cardinals managed just one hit through the first six innings off All-American lefty Jamie Detillion, who improved to 10-4 with 8 and two-thirds innings. SVSU scored a run in the bottom of the seventh on a one-out homer to left by Ebright (5) and left two runners on base.
     Ashland tacked on two more runs in the eighth on two more errors, building an 8-2 lead.
     The Cardinals rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth on consecutive one-out singles by senior Joel Dohm (Owosso), Miller and freshman T.J. Lehnertz (Grand Rapids/Catholic Central) and a two-out pinch-hit single by sophomore Mike Condon (Utica).
     With the top two Cardinal hitters (Valenzuela and Enders) and due up, right-hander Jerry Holden (5 saves) came on for the Eagles. Valenzuela hit a liner to right center that appeared certain to drop in, but right fielder Josh Baker made a sensational diving catch to end the game.
     "We've played great defense all year long," said Ashland skipper John Schaly, whose squad improved to 41-16. "We did a good job of using the whole field and beat a good pitcher."
     Miller and Lehnertz were the only Cardinals with two hits, while Teddy Stuzinger and Guzik each had three for the Eagles.
     SVSU (38-10-1) drops to the loser's bracket of the four-team, double-elimination tournament and will play at 11 a.m. Saturday morning.
     No. 1 seed host Mercyhurst College (35-16-1) played No. 4 University of Indianapolis (37-21) in the late game Friday.

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