Feb. 24, 2007

Game One Box Score Game Two Box Score

Nashville, Tenn. - #13 Grand Valley State scored four runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning to claim a 7-6 win over Northern Kentucky in Nashville, Tenn. Saturday afternoon as the Lakers opened up their 2007 campaign with a pair of wins. Junior Derek Hinke drove in the winning runs in game two on a walk-off double to left field to give GVSU a 7-6 win. Senior Vince Rizzi threw 4.2 solid innings in game one as the Lakers claimed a 7-2 win. GVSU will return to action tomorrow (Feb. 25) when it takes on Rockhurst in a doubleheader beginning at 10 am CT in Nashville, Tenn.

Game one saw the Lakers take advantage of six Northern Kentucky errors, including five in the third inning, en route to the 7-2 season opening win. Senior Vince Rizzi picked up the win going 4.2 innings, allowing just one earned run on seven hits. GVSU was able to get on the board early as it manufactured a run in the top of the first. 3B Lee VanStreain ripped a double to left center field and advanced to third on a groundout by 2B Spud McKenzie. C Nick Smith followed by driving a 1-1 pitch down the right field line that dropped in to score VanStreain from third base.

Rizzi shut down the Norse in the first two innings allowing just one hit, including setting NKU down in order in the second. The Lakers sent 13 batters to the plate in the third inning as they scored six runs while tallying just three hits. SS Dan Skirka led off the inning with a single down the third base line that was knocked down by the third baseman allowing him to advance to second. Skirka would then advance to third on a passed ball after VanStreain went down swinging. McKenzie then followed with a walk to put runners on the corners with one out.

The Northern Kentucky pitcher then attempted to pick off McKenzie at first but as he went to fake the throw to first the ball slipped out of his hand allowing Skirka to score easily from third. Smith would then watch four balls to put runners at first and second for Casey Robrahn. After watching two balls, Robrahn ripped a ball to the shortstop that inadvertently struck the umpire as McKenzie and Smith were on the move allowing McKenzie to score easily from second. The runners were ruled back to second and third as the ball became dead as soon as it struck the umpire, giving Robrahn a single and loading the bases for RF Derek Hinke. Hinke drove in McKenzie from third in unconventional fashion being struck by a pitch and forcing each runner up one base. LF Pat Radde hit a ball to the second baseman that was misplayed, driving in Smith from third and allowing Robrahn to come in all the way around from second.

DH Steve Strutz followed with a single through the left side of the infield for the third hit of the inning, which the left fielder overran allowing Hinke to score and give the Lakers a 6-0 lead. Skirka would then step to the plate for the second time in the inning and drill a pitch to center field for a sacrifice fly to score Radde from third and end the six run inning.

Northern Kentucky scored a single run in both the fourth and fifth innings and knocked Rizzi out of the game after 4.2 innings pitched. Senior Matt Middleton came into the game and got the Lakers out of a jam to end the fifth inning. Freshman Brennen Glass made his first collegiate appearance in the sixth inning allowing just one hit over the final two innings to seal the victory for the Lakers.

In game two, Northern Kentucky jumped out to the early lead scoring a run off starter Danny Richard on a pair of singles. Richard settled down after the first not allowing a hit in either the second or third innings. GVSU's bats came to life in the third as freshman Brad Raj recorded his first collegiate hit to lead off the inning and advanced to second a passed ball. Sophomore Scott Cain dropped down a perfect bunt down the first base line beating the throw to first and advancing Raj to third. Cain was picked off at first for the initial out in the inning as Dan Skirka stepped to the plate and was unable to score Raj from third as he went down on strikes. VanStreain walked to put runners on the corners once again, this time with two outs. McKenzie ripped a triple into the right center field gap to score both Raj and McKenzie and give the Lakers a 2-1 lead. McKenzie would score on a wild pitch later in the inning to extend the lead to two. Richard would cruise through the fourth inning setting the Norse down in order, all on strikeouts. The inning would be the last for Richard who went four innings and struck out six, while allowing just two hits.

Aaron Melucci replaced Richard in the fifth and allowed one run in one inning on the mound. Junior Matt Huml replaced Melucci in the sixth and appeared to be cruising as he set down the first two batters he faced. NKU 1B Chris Nann ended the perfect inning hitting a shot to right field that just made it over the fence to tie the game at three. A single and a balk would end Huml's day as David Bowman entered the contest. Bowman would give up back-to-back doubles and a triple as NKU gained a 6-3 lead.

The Lakers were unable to get any runs back in the sixth before facing a three run deficit in the seventh. Scott Cain led off the seventh with a walk and moved to second on a single up the middle by Lee VanStreain. NKU made a pitching change to switch 2B Spud McKenzie to the right side. The switch would not matter as the Norse pitcher hit McKenzie loading the bases for Nick Smith. Smith would watch four balls to drive in Cain and cut the lead to two. Robrahn popped out to the second baseman for the second out in the inning, before Hinke's heroics. Hinke was down to his last strike when he drove a pitch over the left fielder's head as the ball bounced just before the fence. Smith would race around the bases from first and slide head first into home plate for the win.

Every batter who stepped to the plate for the Lakers on the day recorded at least one hit as Cain and VanStreain each tallied two hits in the wins. Hinke finished the day with four RBI and one run scored. McKenzie and Smith each drove in two runs in the doubleheader. The Lakers will return to action tomorrow (Feb. 25) when they face Rockhurst in another regional doubleheader beginning at 10 am CT in Nashville, Tenn.