March 20, 2004

Box Score

March 20, 2004

Findlay, Ohio - Grand Valley State split a GLIAC doubleheader Saturday in Findlay, Ohio. The Lakers picked up a win in game one, 10-7, but dropped the nightcap, 6-5, in eight innings. GVSU is now 10-6 overall and 1-1 in league action. GVSU and Findlay will conclude the four-game set with two on Sunday.

Grand Valley State scored a single run in the top of the first when RF Joe Mertes slammed a solo shot to right center, however, Findlay came back with three in the bottom of the first on just two hits. GVSU scored a pair in the second when C Elijah Beckwith homered to right center with two outs. The Lakers took a 6-3 lead with three more in the third. 2B Scott Smith doubled and scored on 3B Scott Allen's single. Mertes walked and scored on 1B Tim Hudnall's homer to left. Findlay pulled to within one with single runs in the third and fourth, but GVSU put up two more in the fifth. Smith doubled and scored on a Mertes single. Allen then scored later in the inning on a Brandon McFarland sac fly. The Lakers added an insurance with runs in the top of the sixth and seventh. RHP Phil Mixter picked up his second win of the year, striking out eight in five innings of work. Mixter yieled six hits and five runs, three of which were earned. Joe Finnerty picked up his fifth save of the year with a scoreless seventh.

Smith was 2-3 with three runs scored, while Allend and Mertes each collected two hits and a pair of RBIs. Beckwith was 1-3 with two RBIs.

In game two, GVSU scored two in the top of the first on two hits and a Findlay error. Smith singled an stole second. Mertes reached on an error that scored Smith. Mertes then scored on a McFarland single. However, Findlay put four up on the board in the bottom of the first with the big blow being a three-run HR by 1B Rob Talpas. GVSU would tie the game with single runs in the second and third. LF Nick Sandy reached on an error and advanced to second. He moved to third on a sac bunt by 2B Jeremy Lundberg and scored on SS Lee VanStreain ground out to second. Allend homered in the third to tie the game. The Lakers took a 5-4 lead in the fifth when Smith scored on a Mertes single. Smith walked with one out and advanced to second when Allen reached on an error. Hudnall was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, but the Lakers were unable to push across any more runs with the bases loaded. Talpas tallied his second HR of the game to tie the score and send it into extra innings. UF pushed across the winning run in the bottom if the eighth when DH Cody Davis doubled with two outs and then scored on a single by LF Trent West.

LHP Matt Rafeld was tagged with the loss, yielding six runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings of work. Rafeld struck out seven and walked just one. C Matt Wright collected two hits, while Allen, Mertes and McFarland each drove in a run with one hit apiece.