May 14, 2009

Box Score

Chillicothe, Ohio - A two-out, three-run HR by Indianapolis first baseman Ben Sondgeroth in the top of the ninth off GVSU reliever David Bowman lifted Indianapolis to a 5-4 win over Grand Valley State in NCAA DII Midwest Regional first-round action Thursday. Grand Valley State (41-14-1) will play the loser of the Ashland-Rockhurst game at 12 noon Friday in an elimination game at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Grand Valley State's RF Scott Cain was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the first. 3B Josh Hillyard sacrificed Cain to second and 2B Scott Gendron followed with a towering two-run home run over the 368 mark in left center to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. Indianapolis added a solo HR in the top of the third, but GVSU followed with its third run in the fourth inning. Hillyard walked to open the inning and Gendron followed with a single. 1B Cory Maguire struck out, but CF Casey Robrahn delivered a single to left center that scored Hillyard.

Senior pitcher Andre Benjamin got out of a jam in the top of the fourth when the first two batters reached on singles. 1B Cory Maguire threw out the lead runner at third on a sacrifice bunt, followed by a fly ball to center and a caught stealing at third for the final out of the inning.

The Lakers added another run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out double off the wall in left center by catcher Bobby Walmsley. Walmsley's double scored Grice who had walked earlier in the inning. Indianapolis cut the Laker lead to two (4-2) on a solo HR in the top of the seventh. The Greyhounds then loaded the bases with two outs on a single, a walk and a hit batter, however, Benjamin struck out LF Erik Rieker on three straight changeups.

Gendron led the Lakers offensively with three hits, two RBIs and one run scored. Gendron hit his fifth HR in the last five games in the bottom of the first. CF Casey Robrahn, SS Brad Raj and C Bobby Walmsley each collected a pair of hits for the Lakers. Andre Benjamin was not involved in the decision as he yielded two runs on seven hits in seven innings of action. Benjamin struck out four and walked just one. Joe Jablonski pitched a scoreless eighth before giving way to Bowman with one on an one one out in the top of the ninth.