March 7, 2009

Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A seventh-inning rally fell short in game two and Grand Valley State split a double-header with Minnesota-State Mankato at Lake Myrtle Park on Saturday. The No. 5 Lakers scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh during a 5-4 loss in game two after taking game one 9-3.

Sophomore Joe Jablonski picked up his second win of the season with a complete game in the opener. In seven innings, he struck out nine batters and gave up seven hits and three runs while holding opponents to a .269 batting average. Senior Casey Robrahn paced the Lakers (8-2) offensively, going 4-for-6 with two runs scored and another batted in. Senior Scott Cain went 3-for-6 with three RBI.

The Mavericks scored the first two runs of the game in the opener with two in the bottom of the first inning. GVSU cut the lead in half in the top of the third, courtesy of an RBI-single by junior Cory Maguire that sent junior Kyle Gendron home to make the score 2-1. In the top of the fourth, the Lakers plated two more to take the lead. Freshmen Steve Anderson and Jared Cowan both singled and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. They both scored on a single up the middle by Cain to give GVSU a 3-2 lead.

Two more runs in the top of the fifth made it 5-2 in favor of the Lakers. Robrahn led off the inning with a double down the right-field line and then scored on a double to left-center field by Maguire. Maguire scored the second run of the frame on a groundout by Anderson. MSU scored another in the bottom half of the fifth before Grand Valley State dropped a four-spot in the sixth to put the game away. Robrahn singled home Gendron and then Maguire plated junior Brad Raj with a sacrifice fly. Senior Ben Knuth hit a single to bring Robrahn home and Anderson rounded out the scoring with a single to right-center that brought Knuth home, finishing the game at 9-3.

In game two, the Mavericks took another early two-run lead with runs in the top of the first and second innings. Freshman Cody Grice singled to right field with one out in the bottom of the third inning and then stole second with Cain at the plate. Then, senior Bobby Walmsley singled through the left side to make the score 2-1.

The Lakers did not score again until the bottom of the seventh inning, but by that time it was already 5-1 in favor of MSU. Down by four, GVSU charged in the last half-inning. Senior Josh Hillyard singled to right-center to lead off the inning, followed by another single by Raj. Anderson was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Grice. The freshman singled with a blooper down the right-field line that scored both Raj and Hillyard and sent Anderson to third. Cain hit a sacrifice fly that scored Anderson, but a double play ended the rally with the Lakers down 5-4.