May 2, 2004

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State swept a GLIAC doubleheader Sunday from Gannon. GVSU won game one, 12-0, followed by a 3-0 win in game two. GVSU concludes the regular season with a 36-14 mark overall and a 23-7 mark in GLIAC play. GVSU will next be in action at the GLIAC Tournament in Ashland, Ohio May 6-8. GVSU will square off against Saginaw Valley State at a time to be determined.

Grand Valley State scored two in the bottom of the third on three hits. SS Ryan Lyster doubled to open the inning and then 2B Scott Smith reached first with a perfect bunt. Smith moved to second on a Scott Allen groundout and RF Joe Mertes singled to center to drive in two runs. GVSU opened the flood gates in the bottom of the sixth with 10 runs on nine hits. CF Brandon McFarland singled to open the inning and advanced on an C Elijah Beckwith's sac bunt. DH Matt Wright singled to score McFarland and LF Nick Sandy hit a two-run homer down the left field line. GVSU added seven more runs as 14 Lakers made a plate appearances in the inning.

RHP Phil Mixter was dominate as he picked up his fifth win of the year with a complete game shutout. Mixter yielded five hits and struckout a season-high 11 with just one base on balls. Every Laker that played tallied a hit and seven drove in at least one run. Sandy went 2-4 with three RBI, while McFarland and Lyster each collected a pair of hits. Mertes drove in a pair and Grant Abraham notched the first hit of his career with a double that drove in two.

GVSU scored one run in the third and two in the fourth en route to the win. Smith tripled and then scored when Allen reached on an error in the third. 1B Tim Hudnall was hit by a pitch to open the fourth and advanced to third on a double by McFarland. Beckwith drove in Hudnall with a sac fly, and McFarland scored on a single by Sandy. Jason LaBaumbard picked up the pitching win with a complete game shutout. LaBaumbard yielded four hits and struckout five with no walks. McFarland was the only Laker with two hits (2-3), while Allen, Beckwith and Sandy each drove in a run.

Grand Valley State set a school record with its 36th victory in regular season action. The Lakers also established a school record with its 23rd GLIAC win. GVSU pitchers tallied 30 strikeouts, while yielding just three walks in 28 innings of baseball versus Gannon. GVSU notched four complete game wins by its four starting pitchers. Gannon scored one unearned run in the final 24 innings versus the Lakers.

The Lakers were 23-3 in the final 26 games, including a 19-3 mark in GLIAC action. GVSU strung together a school-record, 15-game winning streak in the second half of the year. Grand Valley State concluded the 2004 regular season with an 18-2 home record, including a 15-1 mark in GLIAC action. GVSU is 94-18-1 in his five years under head coach Steve Lyon, including a mark of 62-11-1 since the 2001 campaign. GVSU is 48-3-1 on its home turf the last two years.