March 19, 2009

Box Score

FINDLAY, Ohio - Grand Valley State swept Findlay in a doubleheader that was moved to Ohio, winning 8-2 and 10-4 for its third and fourth wins against the Oilers. The No. 2 Lakers (18-2, 2-0 GLIAC) have now won 10 consecutive games heading into a weekend series against Hillsdale.

Senior Matt Cade (4-0) earned the win in game one, while sophomore Joe Jablonski (3-0) kept his record perfect with a game two win. Senior David Bowman pitched the seventh inning in both games. Both senior Matt Nickels and freshman Steve Anderson hit .667 on the day, and each had a run and two RBI.

In game one, Cade threw six innings and gave up one earned run and five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Bowman threw a perfect seventh inning to close out the game. At the plate, the Lakers scored eight runs on nine hits, while the Oilers scored twice on five hits. Seniors Josh Hillyard and Ben Knuth went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run apiece.

The Oilers took a 2-0 lead in game one with runs in the first and third innings, but GVSU responded with two in the top of the fifth to tie it at 2-2. Senior Dan Anstedt started the frame with a walk and then went to second on a sacrifice by senior Bobby Walmsley. Freshman Cody Grice singled him home and then went to third on an error. He eventually came home on a sacrifice fly by junior Kyle Gendron.

With the score tied, GVSU exploded in the top half of the seventh to win 8-2. Anstedt led off with a double to right-center field, followed by a walk by Walmsley. An error by the catcher loaded the bases with Grice reaching first. Gendron grounded into a double play that left runners on second and third, but both those runners went home on a double to right field by Hillyard. Senior Casey Robrahn followed that up with a single that brought Hillyard home and then junior Cory Maguire reached on an error that scored Robrahn. Knuth's home run to left-center field scored the final two runs of the game to put GVSU ahead 8-2.

In game two, Jablonski went six innings and gave up four earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Bowman pitched the seventh and issued just one walk. The Lakers scored 10 runs on 10 hits, led by Gendron, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, and Anderson, who finished 2-for-2 with one run and two RBI.

Once again, Findlay scored in the bottom of the first to take a lead. GVSU responded with three runs in the top of the second to take a 3-1 lead. Maguire led off with a single to right field, and when Knuth hit into a fielder's choice, Maguire was safe on an error by the shortstop. Grice walked to load the bases and then Anderson hit a sacrifice fly to plate the first run. Knuth scored from third on a wild pitch and then freshman Jared Cowan scored on a single by Nickels.

After Findlay put up a three-spot of its own in the bottom of the second, GVSU made it 5-4 with two in the third. Robrahn led off with a walk and went to second on a one-out single by Knuth. Another Findlay error put Grice on board and scored Robrahn and then an Anderson single brought Knuth home.

Up 5-4, the Lakers scored again in the fourth when Gendron doubled and then went home on an error. Two more runs came in the fifth, courtesy of a walk by Nickels that plated Grice and a Gendron sacrifice fly that scored Anderson. GVSU scored its final two runs in the seventh to make it 10-4. Gendron hit an RBI-triple and then scored the final run on a Hillyard single to left field.