March 31, 2007

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Erie, Pa. - #9 Grand Valley State (19-2, 9-1) scored a combined 34 runs Saturday afternoon in Erie, Pa. as the Lakers claimed 22-2 and 12-0 wins over the host Golden Knights of Gannon (4-17, 1-5). The Lakers pounded out 61 runs in the four game series against Gannon and have now set the best 20 game start (18-2) in school history. The Lakers will meet the West Michigan Whitecaps for a seven inning exhibition game at 6:35 at Fifth Third Ballpark before going to Oakland City, Ind. for a three game non-conference series.

In game one the Lakers slugged out 22 runs on 20 hits claiming their biggest win since March 4, 2000 when GVSU took down Bluefield State 27-2. The GVSU slugfest began in the first inning when 3B Lee VanStreain drew a one out walk before 2B Spud McKenzie ripped a ground-rule double to left field to put a pair of runners in scoring position for RF Derek Hinke. The junior laced a single back up the middle to score two and provide the start to a big offensive game.

The Lakers tacked on five more runs in the third when VanStreain got things going again with a leadoff walk. McKenzie followed with a single to left field and moved to second when Hinke drew a walk to load the bases for LF Steve Strutz who drove in a pair with a single down the leftfield line. C Nick Smith stepped to the plate next, he entered the contest hitting just .080 in GLIAC games on the season, and delivered his first home run of the season to break his personal slump and give GVSU a 7-0 lead in the top of the third. Gannon cut the lead to five (7-2) with a pair of RBI singles in the bottom half of the third.

GVSU was held scoreless in the fourth before busting out for four runs in the fifth. The Lakers tallied just two hits in the inning capitalizing on five walks and a hit batsman. 1B Cory Maguire drove in a pair with a single up the middle and was followed by SS Dan Skirka who singled in a run. McKenzie picked up the final RBI by drawing a bases loaded walk. The Lakers added to their lead in the sixth with a seven run inning as pinch hitter Jess Barflez singled in a run, pinch hitter Brad Raj doubled in a pair of runs with a shot down the left field line. Back-to-back RBI singles by Skirka and VanStreain made it a 16-2 contest. Matt Nickels and Scott Cain tallied back-to-back RBIs on fielder's choices for the sixth and seventh runs of the inning. Spud McKenzie drove in three runs in the top of the seventh with his third home run of the weekend with a blast down the right field line after VanStreain singled in a run.

Sophomore Aaron Melucci improved to 2-1 on the season with the win as he went the full seven innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five. Besides the two run third inning, Melucci did not allow a runner to pass second base and was better as the game went on facing five batters in the fourth, four in the fifth and the minimum in the sixth and seventh.

The Laker bats were quiet during the first four innings of game two as they tallied just one run on one hit in the first inning. After the initial two batters of the game were set down, Spud McKenzie reached base on an error by the second baseman. McKenzie stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Hinke drove in McKenzie with the lone hit the Lakers would tally through the first four innings.

GVSU's bats started connecting again in the fifth inning when the Lakers took advantage of four walks with RBI singles by Nickels and Hinke to go along with a RBI walk delivered by McKenzie. The Lakers tallied four unearned runs in the sixth as Dan Skirka doubled in two runs and Lee VanStreain doubled in a pair with a shot to right center. Junior Pat Radde cleared the bases in the seventh with a three run triple down the left field line to give GVSU a 11-0 lead before Matt Nickels drove him in with a RBI groundout.

Freshman Brennen Glass earned the victory throwing seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out five. Glass cut his ERA in half during the game lowering it from 9.00 to 4.50.

RF Derek Hinke was 4-5 with one run scored and four RBIs in the doubleheader on Saturday. 3B Lee VanStreain was 4-6 on the afternoon with four runs scored and four RBIs as he improved his GLIAC-best average to .493 overall and .548 in conference games. Eight of the nine starters recorded at least two RBIs on the day paced by McKenzie who slugged in a team-high five. Dan Skirka chipped in four RBIs of his own on the day.