Heading towards the end of the season, the SVSU baseball team is looking to get hot at the right time. The team’s 11-15-1 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) record is good for fourth in the GLIAC north division, meaning the squad needs to keep winning in order to ensure a spot in the upcoming conference tournament.

Last weekend’s slate of games did not help the Cardinals’ cause, as the team dropped two on the road against the Northwood Timberwolves on Saturday before coming back on Sunday to take game one of second double-header.

Game one against the Timberwolves resulted in a 3-0 loss. The Cards’ bats struggled to get the big hit, putting up ten hits but leaving all ten on base. Second baseman Chad Carson led the team with three hits and a walk as the sophomore reached base in each of his four at-bats.

Taking the mound for SVSU was southpaw pitcher Scott Sency. The sophomore tossed five innings, surrendering five hits and two walks while striking out four. Of the three runs allowed, only one was allowed. The loss drops Sency’s season record to 5-2. Andrew Tidwell came out of the bullpen for the Cardinals, throwing a shutout inning in the loss.

The Cards found themselves behind early on in game two after Northwood scored a pair of runs in the second inning off from SVSU starter Bailey Magsig. The overall theme of the contest was once again one of missed opportunities. As a team the Cardinals left 11 runners on base while failing to take advantage of four errors by the Timberwolves. The offense scored its first run of the day in the top of the third inning when third baseman Chris Perkovich scrambled home on a wild pitch to the tie the score at one. Trailing 5-1 in the sixth inning, the Cards scored two more runs to cut into the lead. Perkovich drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2 before Carson singled up the middle to drive in Kyle Kaufmann. Both runs were unearned. Northwood would score one more run in the game to take the game, 6-3.

Magsig’s day was over after five innings. The junior righty gave up five earned runs on the day on seven hits. He did not record a strikeout or a walk.

On Sunday, the Cardinals looked to make up for their sloppy play from the day before. Game one of the Sunday set showed that, as the Cards jumped out early on some tough pitching and held on to win, 5-0.

Kaufmann set the tone for SVSU, going 4-4 on the day with a two-run blast in the first inning.

The Cardinals rode the momentum set by the offense and excelled behind the right arm of redshirt freshman Michael Ellenbest. The righty tossed six shutout innings for the Cards, giving up only three hits while striking out seven.

Sunday’s second game showcased a 15-inning marathon in which the Cardinals won 7-4.

SVSU has five games remaining on its schedule. The final stretch will begin with a one-game home stand against Cleary University. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 28.