#10 Grand Valley State swept a GLIAC twinbill at Northwood Wednesday afternoon. The Lakers claimed an 8-3 win in game one, followed by a 5-4 victory in game two. GVSU improves to 25-5 overall and 11-3 in GLIAC action. The Lakers will be at Tiffin Thursday for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. In addition, GVSU head coach Steve Lyon became the all-time winningest coach in Laker baseball history with the sweep. Lyon is now 366-143-1 and passes former GVSU head coach Andy Chopp (365-310-2).

Game 1

LF Matt Nickels opened the third with an infield single and went to second on a passed ball. CF Pat Radde tripled to right center to score Nickels and Radde would later score on a wild pitch. 2B Josh Hillyard was hit by a pitch and RF Derek Hinke walked and 1B Casey Robrahn singled to left to score Hillyard. Robrahn stole second and went to third on another wild pitch before a DH Brad Raj dropped a bunt down third to score Robrahn. 3B Eric Kruse walked to open the fourth and stole second before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt by Nickels. Radde then drove in Kruse with a single to right. Radde stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. Hinke scored Radde with a sacrifice fly.

Northwood scored three runs off starter and eventual winner Andre Benjamin (6-0) to pull within three (6-3), but two insurance runs in the top of the seventh sealed the win. Hinke doubled with two outs and moved to third on an infield single by Robrahn. Robrahn stole second and SS Justin Beal delivered a two-out single to left to plate Hinke and Robrahn.

Radde drove in two runs and scored two runs on two hits, while Beal drove in two on two hits. Robrahn collected a pair of hits and scored two runs. Benjamin improved to 6-0 on the year, yielding three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. David Bowman pitched the final 1.2 innings and yielded just one hit to pick up his fourth save.

Game 2

Northwood struck first in game two with a single run in the bottom of the first of GVSU starter Joe Jablonski. The Lakers answered in the top of the second when 3B Brad Raj singled and moved to second when C Bobby Walmsley walked DH Cory Maguire singled to center to score Raj and tie the game. Northwood came back with two runs in the bottom of the second on two hits, including a 2-run triple. GVSU scored one run in he top of the third when Radde was hit by a pitch and went to second on a single by 2B Josh Hillyard. Radde and Hillyard were sacrificed to second and Radde scored on a groundout by Robrahn. The Lakers tied the game in the top of the fourth. Walmsley walked with one out and was sacrificed to second. LF Matt Nickels came through with a 2-out single to left to score Walmsley.

GVSU took its first lead of the game in the top of the fifth on three hits. Hillyard opened the inning with a single and following a Hinke flyout to center Robrahn delivered a double to advance Hillyard to third. Hillyard scored on a wild pitch and Raj drove in Robrahn with what proved to be the game-winning run with a single to center.

Northwood scored one run in the bottom of the seventh and had runners on second and third with just one out, but reliever David Bowman got a strikeout and a pop out to close out the win.

Hillyard was 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Raj was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Jablonski yielded three runs on six hits in three innings of work. Eric Snyder picked up the win, yielding no hits and striking out three in 2.1 innings. Bowman picked up his second save of the day in 1.2 innings of work.