May 10, 2008

Box Score

Midland, Mich. - A seven-run seventh inning broke open a close game and helped Grand Valley State claim the 2008 GLIAC Championship with a 13-6 win over Findlay in the GLIAC Tournament title game Saturday afternoon at Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich. GVSU (34-11) will now receive the GLIAC's automatic invitation to the NCAA DII Tournament.

GVSU struck first with a pair of runs in the third inning. C Bobby Walmsley doubled to right and CF Matt Nickels singled to center with two outs. Nickels stole second and scored on a single to center by 2B Josh Hillyard. Findlay answered with three runs on five hits and a Laker error in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. GVSU broke the game open with seven runs on seven hits in the bottom of the sixth. Hillyard opened the inning with a single to center, followed by a double by RF Derek Hinke. LF Casey Robrahn followed with a two-run double to give the Lakers a 4-3 lead. 1B Cory Maguire singled home Robrahn. DH Pat Radde walked and SS Dan Anstedt reached on a fielder's choice, while C Bobby Walmsley reached on an infield single to load the bases. 3B Justin Beal singled home Radde and Anstedt scored on an errory by the left fielder. Hillyard closed the scoring with a two-out, two-run single to give GVSU a 9-3 lead. Robrahn doubled to open the seventh and later scored on a Radde groundout to up the lead to 10-3. Findlay scored three runs in the top of the eight to pull within four (10-6), but GVSU closed the door with three in the bottom half of the eighth. Walmsley scored on a wild pitch, while Hinke and Robrahn each drove in a run with a single.

Nick Beach picked up the win and improved to 6-2 on the year. Beach allowed six runs, only three of which were earned, on 10 hits. Nick recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts and walked just two. Joe Jablonski pitched the final 1.2 innings and earned the save. Robrahn was 4-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored and two doubles. Hillyard was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Nickels, Hinke, Maguire and Walmsley each collected two hits. GVSU recorded 17 hits on the day.

Grand Valley State has now won 14 straight GLIAC Tournament games. The Lakers have won six straight GLIAC Championships and four straight GLIAC Tournament titles. The Lakers' 13 all-time GLIAC Championships tops all schools in the league. Steve Lyon has won every GLIAC Tournament title that he has coached. Lyon was the head coach at Oakland when the Pioneers won the GLIAC Tournament title in 1994. Lyon has now coached Grand Valley State to the 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 GLIAC Tournament titles. The 2003 and 2006 tournaments were called due to weather.

Notes...1B Cory Maguire hit .636 (7-for-11) with five RBIs...2B Josh Hillyard hit .500 (5-for-10) with four RBIs...Four Laker pitchers held three GLIAC Tournament opponents to a .192 batting average...GVSU will now appear in its seventh straight NCAA Tournament.