April 5, 2006

Box Score

Midland, Mich. - Grand Valley State swept a mid-week doubleheader from Northwood Wednesday afternoon in Midland, Mich. beating the Timberwolves 3-1 and 14-2. Jeremy Dow improved to 5-0 on the season going the distance while striking out six. 2B Spud McKenzie went 3-4 with four RBI in the game two victory. With the victories Grand Valley improves to 20-7 on the season, the second-best start in school history. The Lakers will host Gannon this Saturday (Apr. 8) and Sunday (Apr. 9) in a pair of GLIAC doubleheaders beginning at noon.

Game one started out to be a slugfest as each team tallied a run in the first. Jeremy Dow and his counterpoint, Trent Mulder, settled down as the Lakers were the only ones to score the rest of the way. GVSU got on the board first as 2B Spud McKenzie drove in CF Jeff Carrero from second base. Carrero led off the game with a single up the middle and moved to second on SS Dan Skirka's ninth sacrifice bunt of the season. The Timberwolves answered in the bottom half with a single, a walk, and a RBI single from Jeff Nowaczyk.

The Lakers started a rally in the second with a pair of singles from 3B Lee VanStreain and Carrero but were unable to score as Mulder struck Skirka out to end the inning. Grand Valley's defense stepped up in the bottom half, making up for an error to put men on first and second, with a 6-3 double play. GVSU tacked on another run in the third as RF Nick Sandy started things off with a single to left field. 1B Casey Robrahn continued his hot hitting ripping a double down the right field line to put men on second and third with just one out. C Nick Smith then drove in his 24th run of the season with a groundout to first base.

Dow found himself in a bit of a jam in the third giving up back-to-back singles to put men on first and second with only one out. It was then that Dow went to work striking out the next two batters to stop the Timberwolves' rally. Northwood put two runners in scoring position in the fourth inning before getting back-to-back groundouts to VanStreain at third. Both pitchers settled down in the fifth and sixth innings, allowing just one hit. Grand Valley added an insurance run in the seventh as duo of Sandy and Robrahn combined for a double and a RBI single to give the Lakers the final margin. Dow came out for the final inning setting Northwood down in order to end game one.

Game two was far from the pitcher's duel that game one became as the Lakers pounded out 14 runs on 16 hits. Grand Valley sent seven batters to the plate in the first inning scoring four runs. Carrero led things off with a walk and advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Skirka followed with a walk of his own and advanced to third as McKenzie hit a RBI single to right center. Sandy maintained his reputation as the Timberwolves' nemesis drilling a three run home run down the left field line. Sandy went a perfect 4-4 in a game against Northwood last year with three runs scored, six RBI, and a pair of home runs.

Northwood cut the lead to three (4-1) with a walk, a single, and a RBI single off starter Grant Payton. Payton settled down the rest of the way allowing just three hits over the next four innings. The Lakers added two more runs in the second with a two out rally. Carrero got things going with a double to center field. After a Skirka walk McKenzie tallied a double of his own and drove in two of his four RBI for the game. GVSU's offense did not slow down in the third driving in another pair of runs. Smith started the rally ripping a double to left center and advanced to third on a passed ball. DH Chad Rohacs walked to put runners on the corners for VanStreain, who picked up one of his six hits on the day with a RBI single to left field. LF Craig Baugh followed with a single to load the bases for Carrero. The junior centerfielder had the patience to pick up an easy RBI drawing a base on balls to give Grand Valley an 8-1 lead. A Nick Metzger lead off single and a wild pitch put a runner in scoring position for the Timberwolves in the third. D.J. Hughes drove in Metzger with a RBI single for Northwood's second and last run of the game.

The high-powered Laker offense kept rolling with three more runs in the fourth. Robrahn started things off in the inning with his fourth double in three games, Smith followed and showed off his speed with a RBI triple to left center. After a Rohacs fielder's choice, VanStreain drove in his second run of the game with a single to right center putting runners on the corners. After a Timberwolve pitching change, Baugh drove in Rohacs with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. A double play was the only thing that kept GVSU off the board in the fifth as it was the only inning the Lakers did not score. Grand Valley added two more runs in the sixth on an Aaron Melucci RBI groundout and a Baugh RBI double to give the Lakers a 13-2 lead.

Payton worked a perfect fourth and fifth inning for the victory and was relieved by Matt Middleton in the sixth. Payton finished the day with five innings pitched, five hits, two runs, and five K's. The win was Payton's sixth of the season as he kept his record at a perfect 6-0. Middleton kept up with Payton's pace not allowing a runner over the final two innings. Grand Valley added another run in the top half of the seventh as Skirka singled to right and moved to second on the play as the rightfielder misplayed the ball. McKenzie drove in his fourth run of the game with a RBI single to right field to give Grand Valley the final tally of 14-2.

The Lakers improve to 20-7 overall and are now tied for the fastest team to 20 wins. The 2003 squad picked up their 20th win after 27 games as well, posting a 20-6-1 record. The 2003 team was the first GVSU baseball team to reach the World Series. The Lakers have made three consecutive appearances in the World Series.

VanStreain paced the offense going a perfect 6-6 on the day with two RBI. McKenzie was a RBI machine on the day going 4-8 with five RBI in the two contests. Skirka scored three runs in game two and now leads the team with 33 runs scored for the season.

Grand Valley will host GLIAC foe Gannon this weekend (Apr. 8 & 9) in a pair of doubleheaders both beginning at noon.