April 18, 2003

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State cruised to a doubleheader sweep of Mercyhurst on Friday in Erie, winning game one 13-2 and the second game 17-1. It is the most runs GVSU has scored in a doubleheader all year, and the 17 runs in game two is the Lakers second highest single-game total of the season. Joe Brunink posted six hits and seven RBI on the day, while Scott Allen recorded five hits, two of which were home runs, and six RBI. The Lakers improve to 25-9-1 on the year and 14-5-1 in the GLIAC.

GVSU opened up the first game with seven runs in the first two innings. The scoring started in the first with an RBI double by Brunink, which was followed by a three-run blast by Allen. The second inning began with doubles by Jeremy Lundberg and Tony Pfennig sandwiched around a hit-by-pitch and all three eventually came around to score. Mercyhurst scored two in the fourth to cut the lead to five, but they would get no closer the rest of the day. The Lakers scored two more runs in the sixth and finished off MC with a four-run seventh which included a three-run inside the park home run by Allen.

Game one saw Allen hit two-home runs with a GVSU season high 6 RBI. Brunink ended up 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored, while McCallister was 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored in the leadoff spot. Jason LaBaumbard (3-2) threw a complete game allowing two runs on eight hits, and striking out four.

The hot hitting continued into game two as four players posted three hit games to lead GVSU to 17 runs on 17 hits. The Lakers again started things off in the top of the first, as after the leadoff man was retired six straight batters reached base and five ended up scoring. It wasn't until the fourth when GVSU posted two more on an RBI single by Tony Pfennig and an RBI triple by Brunink. Three more came across in the fifth as three hits and two MC errors gave the Lakers a 10-0 lead. GVSU finished off the day with a seven run final inning, as the first seven batters reached base, including the final blow a three-run homer by Brunink.

Brunink recorded three more hits and five RBI in game two. Pfennig, Allen, and Matt Wright also posted three hit games. Nick Bultema (1-2) threw five scoreless innings and allowed only two hits to pick up his first win of the year, and Doug Fox finished out the game on the mound.

The two squads will finish the series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.