March 28, 2009

Box Score

Tiffin, Ohio - #1-Ranked Grand Valley State claimed an 8-1 victory over Tiffin Saturday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep over the Dragons. GVSU improves to 24-3 overall and 8-1 in GLIAC action. GVSU will host Hillsdale in the home-opener at the Laker Baseball Wednesday at 2 p.m.

GVSU scored three runs on four hits in the top of the second. CF Casey Robrahn opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a single by SS Steve Anderson. C Bobby Walmsley reached on a fielder's choice that moved Robrahn to third and Anderson to second. Robrahn scored on an error by the Tiffin first baseman on Walmsley's fielder's choice. LF Matt Nickels sacraficed Anderson and Walmsley up and freshman RF Cody Grice came through with a single to plate a pair. 2B Kyle Gendron gave GVSU a 4-0 lead with his solo HR in the top of the third and the Lakers added a fifth run in the top of the sixth. Anderson and Walmsley opened with back-to-back singles and a walk to Grice loaded the bases with one out. Relief pitcher Lee Kerns balked to score Anderson, but the Lakers were unable to do any further damage as 3B Josh Hillyard and DH Brad Raj were retired.

Tiffin avoided the shutout with a single run in the seventh on two hits, but the Lakers answered with a pair in the eighth. Walmsley singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch an stole third. Nickels walked and stole second, followed by a two-run single by Grice. Robrahn drove in Torre Aguirre to walked and advanced to second on an errory in the top of the ninth.

Ben Knuth allowed just two hits and struck out seven in four innings of work to picke up the win. Joe Jablonski yielded four hits and a run in three innings, while Kyle Schepel and Cory Rademacher each pitched hitless innings. RF Cody Grice was 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs, while Casey Robrahn was 3-for-5 with one RBI. Steve Anderson and Bobby Walmsley each collected a pair of hits.