March 5, 2007

Box Score

Joplin, Mo. - The #7 Lakers are off to their best start in school history after improving to 5-0 on the year with a 15-6 win over Northern State Monday (Mar. 5) in Joplin, Mo. SS Dan Skirka led the Lakers, going 4-5 with two runs scored and 4 RBI in the win. GVSU will take on #21 Emporia (Kan.) State in a doubleheader in Pittsburg, Kan. tomorrow (Mar. 6) at 1 pm CT.

Skirka started the hit parade early as he led off the contest with a triple to deep centerfield as the ball landed on the warning track. 3B Lee VanStreain scored Skirka from third as he hit a ball to the second baseman that was misplayed, giving the Lakers a very early 1-0 lead. Grand Valley would tack on three more runs in the inning as DH Casey Robrahn scored VanStreain on a sacrifice fly and LF Steve Strutz drove in two runners with a single back up the middle as the Lakers jumped out to a 4-0 lead.

Freshman Brad Raj started the contest for the Lakers on the mound and did not allow a run through the first three innings, but found himself in trouble in the fourth. The leadoff hitter in the inning reached base by way of an error to start the Northern State rally before Raj set the next batter down on strikes. Another Laker error put runners on first and second with one out. Back-to-back walks made it a 4-1 game and ended Raj's day. The freshman righthander went 3.1 innings allowing four hits and four runs, all unearned. Junior Eric Snyder replaced Raj on the mound and walked the first batter he faced to cut the lead to two (4-2). A wild pitch made it a 4-3 game before DH Matt Tales stepped the plate. Tales gave the Wolves a 5-4 lead with a check swing double down the left field line that landed just out of the reach of 3B Lee VanStreain. Snyder struck out the next batter he faced to get out of the inning.

The Laker bats appeared to go to rest from the second through the fourth innings as they were only able to notch one hit in the three innings. The bats came back to life in the fifth as the Lakers retook the lead with three runs on four hits. RF Derek Hinke tallied a RBI single in the inning and freshman 1B Cory Maguire drove in two with a single up the middle to score Hinke and Robrahn and give Grand Valley a 7-5 lead. Northern State cut the lead to one in the bottom half of the fifth before the Lakers poured it on and took control of the game.

GVSU picked up a single run in the sixth on a RBI single by C Nick Smith through the right side that scored CF Matt Nickels from third. The Lakers used another four run inning in the seventh to seal the game as Nickels and VanStreain notched RBI singles and Skirka ripped a two run double. In the eighth, pinch hitter Pat Radde stepped to the plate and ripped an opposite field double to score the Lakers' 13th run of the game. Skirka would step to the plate later in the inning with runners at second and third with a chance to hit for the cycle. Skirka fell short of the cycle but drove in another pair of runs with a single up the middle.

Reliever Matt Middleton and Alex Dawe finished out the contest for the Lakers as neither allowed a run and just three hits in four innings of action, two apiece. Each starter tallied at least one hit with Skirka and Maguire leading the way with four hits apiece. Maguire, Nickels, Skirka, and 2B Spud McKenzie each scored two runs in the win. The Lakes pounded out 19 hits in the game and hit .463 as a team on the day. Snyder picked up the win, his first as a Laker hurler.

The win is the Lakers' fifth this season and gives the seventh-ranked Lakers the best start in school history at 5-0. GVSU will look to extend the school record tomorrow (Mar. 6) when it takes on #21 Emporia (Kan.) State in Pittsburg, Kan. in a doubleheader beginning at 1 pm CT. GVSU is 0-1 all-time against Emporia State after dropping a 16-1 decision in Warrensburg, Mo. in 2005.