March 1, 2009

Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Ben Knuth hit a grand slam and Grand Valley State opened its season with a 15-10 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan at Chain of Lakes Park on Sunday morning. In a game marred by two rain delays, three different Lakers hit home runs to power GVSU over the Bobcats.

Bobby Walmsley and Cody Grice both joined Knuth in the home run club on the day. Knuth and Casey Robrahn each went 3-for-5 on the day; Knuth finished with five runs batted in and another two scored, while Robrahn scored three runs and batted in two more. As a team, the Lakers had 16 hits and committed just one error. Andre Benjamin got the start and picked up the win, giving up four hits and two runs in five innings pitched. He struck out eight and walked just one.

After Benjamin retired the 'Cats in order during the top of the first, a torrential downpour caused the game to be suspended until the weather cleared. Rain delay or no, the Lakers dominated the first inning and scored six runs. With the bases loaded, Knuth singled up the middle to plate Matt Nickels and begin the scoring. A walk by Walmsley send Robrahn scored and a double to right field by Dan Anstedt scored another two. Brad Raj and Matt Cain both singled in a run to finish the first inning scoring.

West Virginia Welseyan led the top off the top of the second inning with a home run, but Benjamin struck two out and then picked off a runner to prevent any further scoring. Wesleyan chipped in another run on a sacrifice fly in the third inning to make the score 6-2 before the Lakers got back on the scoreboard in the fourth.

With two outs, Kyle Gendron and Robrahn both singled and then Cory Maguire walked to load the bases for Knuth, who promptly emptied them with a shot over the right-center fence. The grand slam from the designated hitter made the score 10-2. The Bobcats cut the lead to six runs with two in the sixth inning, but GVSU put up another four in the bottom half of the stanza to make it 14-4. Torre Aguirre walked and Gendron singled to start the inning. Both advanced a base on a balk and then Robrahn sent them both home with his double to right field. Walmsley hit his home run with two outs to make it 14-4 after six frames.

Grice's long ball gave the Lakers a 15-4 lead after seven innings, but then it was Wesleyan's turn to have an offensive burst. Six unearned runs cut the Grand Valley State lead to 15-10 with one inning left, but David Bowman pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the contest.