April 23, 2006

Box Score

Detroit, Mich. - #10 Grand Valley State claimed an 8-3 victory over GLIAC foe Wayne State Sunday in game one of a GLIAC twinbill. Game two was called due to rain. GVSU improved to 34-8 overall and 18-3 with the win. The Lakers have won 10 straight and 19-of-21, with both defeats coming to DI opponents. The Lakers will return to action next Saturday, April 30 versus Mercyhurst.

The Lakers opened the scoring in the second with a single run. RF Nick Sandy singled and moved to second on a sac bunt by 1B Casey Robrahn. DH Brandon Bard walked and SS Dan Skirka reached on an infield single. LF Nate Secor hit a sac fly to right field to plate Sandy. GVSU added three in the third on two hits and three Wayne State errors. 3B Lee VanStreain reached on an error to open the inning. C Nick Smith followed a fly out by CF Jeff Carrero with a two-run shot to left center to put the Lakers up 3-0. Sandy reached on an error by the Warrior third baseman and moved to second on a single by Robrahn. Sandy and Robrahn then executed a double steal before Bard hit a sac fly to center to plate Sandy.

Carrero opened the fourth with a double to center and moved to third on a sac bunt by VanStreain. 2B Spud McKenzie fouled out, but Smith singled to right to score Carrero. GVSU scored three more in the fifth on four hits. Bard and Skika singled with one out and Secor was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Carrero dropped a two-run single down the right field line to give the Lakers a 7-0 lead. VanStreain singled to center to score pinch runner Pat Radde. Wayne State averted the shutout with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Senior Jeremy Dow improved to 9-0 on the year with the win. Dow, who is 16-1 in his career at GVSU, yielded three hits and struck out seven in five innings of work. Vince Rizzi came in for Matt Middleton in the sixth and recorded three strikeouts and two hits in two innings of action. Carrero was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, while Smith drove in three runs on a 2-for-5 day. Skirka collected two hits and scored a run.

Grand Valley State, ranked first in the initial NCAA DII North Central Regional rankings, will host Mercyhurst College next Saturday in a key GLIAC series. Mercyhurst enters a twinbill Tuesday at IUP with a 14-game winnings streak.