April 9, 2005
Baseball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CARDS EARN DRAMATIC SWEEP OF GRAND VALLEY STATE

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – In one of the most dramatic doubleheaders in SVSU history, the Cardinals earned a sweep of Grand Valley State with a 2-1 win in game one and a 1-0 12-inning classic in game two. The pitching of both staffs was the story as both teams went scoreless over a 17-inning span after the teams scored their runs in the first inning of game one and finally scored in the bottom of the 12th inning in game two. Scott Smith doubled down the left field line to start the game on the first pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice by Ryan Lyster. Smith would score on a balk with two outs to make it 1-0. The Cards would score two runs in the bottom of the first as Jason Burghardt (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) scored an unearned run on an error by centerfielder Brandon McFarland after a Dan Jones (Gladstone, Mich.) single. Justin Hanning (Lake Orion, Mich.) drove in Jones with two outs and Dale Marsden (Sarnia, Ont.) got caught up between second and third during the play for the third out. After that both pitchers buckled down and SVSU got a superb outing from Steve Liebrecht (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage) who closed the door allowing three hits and one earned run in seven innings. Liebrecht struck out four and walked three as GVSU left four runners on base. Jones was 2-for-2 with a walk and Justin Doughty (Oscoda, Mich.) also collected a single in two at-bats.
      Freshman Scott Roy (Mt. Morris, Mich.) was stellar in game two as he went the distance going all 12 innings and throwing over 180 pitches. He struck out 10 hitters and allowed four hits and no runs lowering his ERA to 0.38 in three starts this season. Roy improved to 3-0 on the mound. The Cards scored on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the 12th with one out as Doughty laid down the bunt and Hanning scored from third after singling through the left side of the infield with one out to start the rally. The Cards had the bases loaded three times during the game and hit into three double plays before scoring the winning run. Senior Mike Crawford (Lake Orion, Mich.) was 2-for-5 with a double and Ken Hoffman (Midland, Mich.) delivered a clutch single in the bottom of the 12th that moved Hanning to third.
     SVSU (17-4, 8-2 GLIAC) will play two more games tomorrow against the Lakers with the first game scheduled for noon.

Game 1 , Game 2

Contact: Ryan Thompson (989) 964-4053

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