April 10, 2009

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ALLENDALE, Mich. - Senior Andre Benjamin gave up only three hits and struck out seven in an impressive pitching performance, helping Grand Valley State earned a split with Northwood on Friday. The Lakers, behind Benjamin's masterful performance, won game two 1-0 after dropping a 6-5 game decision in the first contest.

Benjamin is now 7-0 on the season with an earned-run average of 2.66. The No. 1 Lakers (30-5, 14-3 GLIAC) will take on the Timberwolves in the final match of the set tomorrow at 12 noon.

The Lakers scored five runs on 10 hits in the first game, led by senior Casey Robrahn, who went 2-for-3 with a run batted in and a run scored. Sophomore Danny Richard threw seven innings and gave up six runs, three earned, while striking out six and walking three. The loss was his first of the season (5-1).

In game one, Northwood jumped all over the Lakers early, scoring five runs on six hits in the top of the first inning. The Timberwolves added another run in the top of the second inning to make it 6-0 before Richard shut down the NU offense for the rest of the game. Senior Casey Robrahn singled in the bottom of the second and then came home on a sacrifice fly by freshman Steve Anderson, cutting the lead to 6-1.

Senior Ben Knuth made it a four-run game with a two-run home run down the left-field line in the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the fifth, senior Matt Nickels reached on a throwing error to start the inning and then scored on a single to left field by junior Josh Hillyard. Later in the inning, freshman Cody Grice, who reached first on an infield single, scored on a single to shallow right-center field by junior Kyle Gendron, making it a two-run game. Then, Robrahn's sacrifice fly with one out brought Hillyard home and cut the lead to one run at 6-5.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Knuth singled with two outs and then pinch runner Scott Cain went to third on a single through the right side by Robrahn. A fly out to center field by junior Cory Maguire ended the game with runners on second and third.

In game two, the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning when Cain hit a two-out double to the fence in right-center field the sent senior Bobby Walmsley home for a 1-0 GVSU lead. That was all Benjamin needed, and he kept Northwood off the board in a three-hit, seven-strikeout effort. The Lakers finished with one run on two hits at the plate.