April 29, 2006

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - #7 Grand Valley State took a doubleheader from Mercyhurst College Saturday afternoon winning game one 8-2 and game two 6-0. Jeremy Dow and Grant Payton each improved to 10-0 on the season picking up the wins. GVSU improves to 36-8 overall and 20-3 in the GLIAC while Mercyhurst fell to 32-13 and 17-7. Grand Valley and Mercyhurst will face off again tomorrow (Apr. 30) in a GLIAC doubleheader beginning at 12 pm ET.

Grand Valley opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first as 3B Lee VanStreain walked and moved to third on a failed pickoff throw by the pitcher. 2B Spud McKenzie followed by hitting a fly ball to right field to score VanStreain and give GVSU a 1-0 lead. Grand Valley added four more runs in the third using another McKenzie sacrifice fly and three consecutive RBI singles. RF Nick Sandy tallied a RBI single through the left side to score VanStreain, 1B Casey Robrahn followed with a RBI single down the left field line, and DH Brandon Bard finished off the scoring with a rocket hit at the shortstop to score Sandy.

Mercyhurst got a run back in the fifth with a RBI groundout after a batter was hit by a pitch, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt. GVSU answered with three more runs in the sixth to take an 8-1 lead. McKenzie drove in his third and fourth runs of the game with a single to center field to plate CF Jeff Carrero and LF Nate Secor. VanStreain drove in the Lakers first run of the inning with a RBI groundout to score Bard. Mercyhurst added another run in the top of the seventh with a RBI single with two outs to force starter Jeremy Dow out of the game. Vince Rizzi entered the game and forced SS Joe Mariano to fly out to right field to end the game and give Grand Valley an 8-2 win.

Dow finished the game going 6.2 innings with six strikeouts to pick up his 10th win of the season. Dow is now 17-1 in his career at Grand Valley. McKenzie was a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI including a pair of sacrifice flies. Carrero and VanStreain set the table atop the lineup each scoring two runs apiece.

Grand Valley scored first once again in game two as McKenzie homered to left center with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Starter Grant Payton found himself in trouble in the third inning as Mercyhurst loaded the bases but Payton was able to force a groundout to end the inning. Mercyhurst left 11 men on base in the game but never crossed the plate in the game. Grand Valley added three more runs in the third as RF Nick Sandy roped a double to left center to score McKenzie and SS Dan Skirka. Robrahn extended his hit streak to 24 with a single to the shortstop to score Sandy and give Grand Valley a 4-0 lead.

GVSU added another pair of runs in the fourth as Sandy tallied his second 2-RBI double of the game on a ball that fell just short of being a home run. McKenzie and Skirka scored once again as Spud singled and Dan walked. Payton settled down in the later innings as Mercyhurst was held to one hit over the final three innings of the contest.

Payton improves to 10-0 on the season 19-5 in his career. Sandy went 2-for-2 with a run scored and four RBI in the game with his pair of doubles. McKenzie finished the day 4-4 with three runs scored and five RBI.

Grand Valley and Mercyhurst will face off in a GLIAC doubleheader tomorrow (Apr. 30) beginning at 12 pm ET. The eight Laker seniors will be honored before the game.