April 15, 2009

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ALLENDALE, Mich. - Grand Valley State split its fourth consecutive home doubleheader on Wednesday, defeating Wayne State 15-5 in game one and dropping a 5-4 decision in game two. Junior Kyle Gendron finished the day 6-of-9 with four runs and three runs batted in, including a 5-for-5 performance in game one.

Gendron was helped at the plate by senior Matt Nickels, who also finished the day at .667. Nickels scored two runs and brought in another five with a 4-for-6 performance. Freshman Cody Grice went 4-for-7 with two runs and an RBI to finish at .557. Junior Brad Raj earned the win in game one. The Lakers are now 33-7-1 overall and 17-5-1 in the GLIAC.

Raj threw all seven innings of the first game, striking out five and walking one while giving up 12 hits and five runs. Gendron's 5-for-5 paced the Lakers at the plate, and the team scored 15 runs on 20 hits. Senior Ben Knuth drove in a team-high three rubs and scored two of his own.

Although Wayne State scored two in the top of the first inning, it was all Grand Valley State from that point forward. Junior Josh Hillyard drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning. After the Warriors went up 3-1 in the top of the third inning, Knuth homered down the left-field line to tie up the game.

Grand Valley State scored 12 runs in the middle three innings including four in the bottom of the fourth. A Gendron singled through the left side scored the first, followed by a two-RBI double by senior Casey Robrahn and a sacrifice fly by junior Cory Maguire. The Lakers tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Bobby Walmsley scored on a fielding error during a single by Nickels and then Gendron and Knuth each drove in another run.

The final five runs by GVSU came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Nickels started it with a double through the left side that scored two. Grice plated another with a single up the middle and then Gendron singled down the right-field line to bring home another. With a 12-run lead, the Lakers held on for the 15-5 win after WSU notched two in the top of the seventh.

In game two, senior Matt Cade got the start and threw 4.2 innings while giving up seven hits and three runs, two earned. He struck out one and did not issue any walks. The Lakers scored four runs on nine hits, led by Maguire, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, and Nickels, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Once again, Wayne State jumped out to an early lead this time with a run in the top of the second. With the bases loaded, Nickels hit a two-run single to make it 2-1 GVSU. A single up the middle by Maguire in the bottom of the third plated Gendron and made it a two-run game.

Wayne State scored runs in the fourth and fifth frames and then took the lead with two in the top of the sixth, putting them ahead 5-3. GVSU got one back when Nickels grounded out to shortstop and scored Maguire, but the Lakers could not overtake the Warriors and lost 5-4.