April 30, 2006

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - The #7-ranked Lakers of Grand Valley State took a doubleheader from visiting Mercyhurst Sunday afternoon winning 8-2 and 15-4. Senior Jeff Sinicki earned the victory in game one going the distance while allowing only one earned run on five hits. Grand Valley tallied 14 runs in the final three innings of game two for the 15-4 win. Grand Valley will host Hillsdale College this Wednesday (May 3) in a GLIAC doubleheader beginning at 1 pm.

Senior Jeff Sinicki took the mound in game one and despite an error to start the game set the next three batters down to get out of the first. The GVSU offense then stepped to the plate and provided Sinicki all the run support he would need, pounding out seven runs. CF Jeff Carrero led off the inning with a walk and was followed by back-to-back bunt singles by 3B Lee VanStreain and 2B Spud McKenzie. Mercyhurst starter John Mang had trouble finding the strike zone, giving up bases loaded walks to C Nick Smith and RF Nick Sandy to give Grand Valley a 2-0 lead. Mercyhurst was able to cut down a runner at home when 1B Casey Robrahn hit a ball back to the pitcher to force out McKenzie at the plate. DH Brandon Bard followed with a fielder's choice of his own as Robrahn beat the ball to second base and Smith scored from third. After LF Nate Secor struck out, Carrero stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning at hit the first ball out of the infield by driving a pitch to left center to score Skirka and Bard and give GVSU an early 7-0 lead.

Sinicki cruised through the next three innings allowing just one hit while stranding two runners. Mercyhurst got on the board in the fifth inning with a double and a RBI single to cut the lead to six (7-1). Grand Valley answered in the bottom half with a run of its own as Secor singled through the right side to score Robrahn who led off the inning by reaching base on a Mercyhurst error. Mercyhurst tried to get a last at bat rally going but were able to score just once in the top of the seventh as Sinicki shut the door to earn his sixth win of the season.

Game two looked like it would be another solid outing for the offense as Grand Valley took a 1-0 lead after the first inning as McKenzie tallied a RBI single up the middle to score Carrero who singled to lead off. Mercyhurst answered in the top of the second with a run of its own using a walk, a balk, and a passed ball to put a runner on third for Jamie Walczak who singled. Mercyhurst took its first lead of the weekend in the top of the fourth using a pair of singles and a double to take a 2-1 lead. Starter Nate McCrory was able to get out a huge jam as the bases were loaded in the inning forcing a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

Grand Valley made sure that the lead would be short lived. Sandy led off the inning with a single through the right side but was cut down at second on a ball hit by Robrahn to the third baseman. Back-to-back walks to Bard and Skirka loaded the bases for Secor, who hit a ball that appeared to be an inning-ending double play but the Mercyhurst shortstop was unable to handle the grounder and helped to open the floodgates for the GVSU offense. After a Carrero sacrifice fly to score Bard, VanStreain ripped a crucial double into the left field corner to empty the bases and give Grand Valley a 5-2 lead.

Mercyhurst cut the lead to two (5-3) with a RBI single in the fifth against McCrory. Reliever Vince Rizzi came in to end the threat in the fifth to force a pop out. GVSU's offense came to the plate ready to hit again in the bottom of the fifth as Robrahn and Bard reached base on back-to-back singles to set the stage for the Laker shortstop. Skirka stepped to the plate and connected on his first career home run giving Grand Valley an 8-2 lead to seal the victory. GVSU threw up another seven spot on the board in the bottom of the sixth as the Lakers pounded out seven consecutive RBI singles by Smith, Sandy, Robrahn, Bard, Skirka, and pinch-hitters Drew Wippich and Pat Radde. Mercyhurst was bale to get a run in the top half of the sixth but the seven GVSU runs provided the 15-4 advantage.

Rizzi earned the victory going an inning and a third allowing one run on one hit. McCrory went 4.2 innings with four strikeouts, two earned runs, and picked off his 10th runner of the season despite the no decision.

The bottom of the lineup provided some pop for Grand Valley on the day as the 7-8-9 hitters drove in 10 runs in the twinbill. Skirka went 2-3 with three runs scored and five RBIs. Carrero and VanStreain set the table once again going a combined 7-11 with five runs scored and five RBIs on the day. Robrahn extended his hit streak to a school-best 26 games tallying a single in each game. Robrahn's single in game one came in the bottom of the sixth as he dropped a ball just in front of the Mercyhurst rightfielder. Brandon McFarland held the previous record recording a hit in 24 consecutive games spanning the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Robrahn is hitting .417 on the season and has a freshman-best 58 hits on the year.

Grand Valley State will host Hillsdale in a GLIAC doubleheader on Wednesday (May 3) beginning at 1 pm. The Lakers will finish the regular season at #12 Ashland in a pair of doubleheaders next weekend (May 6 & 7).