CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The Lake Erie baseball team competed against Saginaw Valley State in a neutral site matchup. The Cardinals would open the series with a convincing 23-1 game one win. In game two, the Storm offense showed promise in the 8-6 loss. In game three, the Cardinals would silence the Storm offense in the 9-0 no-hitter. The Storm would fight until the last out, ultimately falling 8-3 to give the Cardinals the sweep. 
 
Team Records
 
Lake Erie: 0-7
Saginaw Valley State: 6-2
 
Game Recaps
 
Game 1:
Saginaw Valley State- 23
Lake Erie- 1
 
The Cardinals would race ahead early to open the series, putting up eight runs on four hits and one error in the bottom of the first. Saginaw Valley State would quickly put the game out of reach, piling on 13 runs in the third for a 21-0 lead. The Storm would get on the board in the fourth with a solo shot from Hunter Aurand, his first career hit and home run. The Cardinals would tack on two more runs in the fifth with the damage already done, securing a 23-1 win to open the weekend.    
 
W: Jack Decker (1-0) - 5.0 IP, H, ER, BB, 9 K
L: Tanner O'Farrell (0-1) - 0.1 IP, 3 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, K
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 2, Cardinals- 5
Walks: Storm- 1, Cardinals- 7
Strikeouts: Storm- 13, Cardinals- 5
Stolen Bases: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 5
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 7, Cardinals- 1
Strikeouts: Storm- 5, Cardinals- 13
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 4, Cardinals- 1
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 7, Cardinals- 1
 
Game 1 Top Storm Performers: 
 
R-Fr. Hunter Aurand: 1-3, HR (1), RBI, R, 2 K
Jr. Brendan Hazuda: 1-1
 
Game 2:
Saginaw Valley State- 8
Lake Erie- 6
 
The Cardinals continued their hot hitting into game two, pulling ahead 6-0 after the first four innings. The Storm offense showed signs of life in the top half of the sixth, putting up two runs with an RBI walk from Brendon Rowe, and Teagan Williams scoring on a passed ball, cutting their deficit to 6-2. Lake Erie would add three more runs in the seventh with an RBI double from Williams, and an RBI triple from Brendan Hazuda, bringing the score to 6-5. Saginaw Valley State would respond with a run in both the seventh and eighth, growing their lead to 8-5. The Storm would fight until the last out with an RBI single from Hunter Aurand in the ninth, but the Cardinals would hold on for the 8-6 win in game two.  
 
W: Nathan Masar (2-0) – 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (ER), 3 BB, 9 K
L: Luke Reasor (0-2) – 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
S: Dan Wilcome (2) – 1.1 IP, H, R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 10, Cardinals- 4
Walks: Storm- 8, Cardinals- 5
Strikeouts: Storm- 14, Cardinals- 6
Stolen Bases: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 5
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 5, Cardinals- 8
Strikeouts: Storm- 6, Cardinals- 14
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 0
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 1
 
Game 2 Top Storm Performers:
 
Jr. Teagan Williams: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 3 R, K
Jr. Brendan Hazuda: 2-5, 3B, RBI
Sr. Ty Sowers: 3-4, 2 2B, BB, R, K
 
Game 3:
Saginaw Valley State- 9
Lake Erie- 0
 
The Cardinals would soar quickly in the top of the first with a leadoff solo shot. After a quiet few innings, Saginaw Valley State would tack on two more runs in the fourth to take the lead to 3-0. In the next inning, the Cardinals would blow it open, putting up four runs on five hits, growing the lead to 7-0. SVSU would put up two more runs in the seventh for a 9-0 lead. The Storm would struggle to produce any offense in game three, only having two walks and a hit by pitch in the third, as the Cardinals would throw a no-hitter in the 9-0 game three victory.
 
W: Jack Sequin (2-0) – 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
L: Dominic Poltrone (0-2) – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 4
Walks: Storm- 2, Cardinals- 5
Strikeouts: Storm- 6, Cardinals- 5
Stolen Bases: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 1
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 5, Cardinals- 2
Strikeouts: Storm- 5, Cardinals- 6
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 1
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 0

Game 4:
Saginaw Valley State- 8
Lake Erie- 3
 
The Cardinals would open game four with a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The Storm would respond back in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run for Hunter Aurand, his second of the season. SVSU would respond with three in the third to move back in front 4-1. The Cardinals would tack on two more runs in the fourth, growing their lead to 6-1. SVSU would add two more insurance runs in the sixth and eighth, bringing the score to 8-1. Lake Erie would show late life as an RBI double from Ty Sowers would bring the score to 8-2. The Storm offense would not quit as Travis Yankovich would score on a wild pitch, but the bases would be left loaded and Saginaw Valley State would secure their lead and take an 8-3 game four victory and sweep. 
 
W: Chase Raymond (1-1) – 5.0 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 10 Ks
L: William Cornett (4-4) – 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 2 Ks
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 9, Cardinals- 12
Walks: Storm- 2, Cardinals- 13
Strikeouts: Storm- 16, Cardinals- 10
Stolen Bases: Storm- 1, Cardinals- 6
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 13, Cardinals- 2
Strikeouts: Storm- 10, Cardinals- 16
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 4, Cardinals- 2
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 0, Cardinals- 1
 
Game 4 Top Storm Performers:
 
R-Fr. Hunter Aurand: 2-4, HR (2), RBI, BB, 2 R, 2 K
Sr. Ty Sowers: 1-4, 2B, RBI, HBP, 2 K
Jr. Travis Yankovich: 1-4, 2B, SB, R, 2 K
 
The Matchup
 
Lake Erie is now 11-20 all-time against Saginaw Valley State after being swept. This was the first time Saginaw Valley State and Lake Erie faced each other since the 2017 season as members of the GLIAC.
 
Up Next
 
Lake Erie will head to Morgantown, West Virginia for three neutral site matchups. Lake Erie will play Illinois-Springfield on Friday, February 27th, Lock Haven on Saturday, February 28th, and Fairmont State on Sunday, March 1st.  
 
Illinois-Springfield is currently 7-3 to begin the season. Recently, the Prairie Stars took two of three games against Missouri-St. Louis. UIS is currently ranked #19 in the country and second in the Midwest Region. Last season, the Prairie Stars finished 36-16 overall and 23-8 in the GLVC, falling in the conference championship and just missing an NCAA tournament berth. 
 
Lock Haven is currently 1-3 to begin the season, dropping three of four games at Glenville State. Last season, the Bald Eagles finished 17-31 overall and 7-20 in the PSAC West. 
 
Fairmont State is currently 1-3 to begin the season, dropping three of four games against Walsh. Last season, the Falcons finished 28-28 overall and 17-11 in the MEC. Fairmont State would receive the MEC AQ and appear in their first NCAA tournament despite falling in the conference championship to Point Park, who is currently transitioning from NAIA to DII.