May 15, 2009

Box Score

Chillicothe, Ohio - #11 Grand Valley State scored three runs in the top of the 12th inning and held on to claim a 10-8 victory over Rockhurst Friday afternoon in the NCAA DII Midwest Regional second round action. The Lakers, who have appeared in eight straight NCAA Tournaments, advance to play Saturday at 3 p.m. versus an opponent to be determined. GVSU improves to 42-14-1 on the year.

GVSU's victory was in comeback fashion as Rockhurst led 7-6 heading into the top of the ninth. Freshman DH Steve Anderson led off the ninth inning with a single and was sacrificed to second by senior catcher Bobby Walmsley. Following another putout, junior 2B Kyle Gendron delivered a two-out single to center that scored Anderson to tie the game 7-7. Gendron's hit also set the GVSU single season record (84), passing Lee VanStreain's record of 83 set in 2007.

After scoreless 10th and 11th innings, Gendron led off the 12th with a double off the wall in right center. 1B Cory Maguire was intentionally walked and SS Brad Raj followed with a one-out double off the left field wall to score Gendron. Freshman RF Cody Grice then delivered a two-run double to left center to score Maguire and Raj and give GVSU a 10-7 lead. Rockhurst scored one in the bottom of the 12th inning and had runners on second and third with two outs, however, reliever Joe Jablonski recorded the final out on a slow roller to second.

Grand Valley State scored a pair in the top of the first on two hits. 3B Josh Hillyard walked and moved to second on a single by Gendron. Maguire followed with a double down the left field line that scored Hillyard and moved Gendron to third. CF Casey Robrahn scored Gendron with a groudout to shortstop. Rockhurst took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the bottom of the third on three hits. The big blow was a two-run HR off the bat off the bat of Mike Walczuk. The Hawks added a three in the top of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.

Anderson hit a solo HR in the top of the sixth to cut the Rockhurst lead to three (6-3). LF Matt Nickels reached on a bunt single with two outs in the sixth, followed by a single from pinch hitter Dan Anstedt. Gendron singled to left to plate Nickels and cut the Hawks lead to two (6-4).

Robrahn and Raj opened the seventh with back-to-back singles and Grice advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Anderson followed with a run-scoring single to left to cut the Rockhurst lead to 6-5. Rockhurst took a 7-5 lead with a run in the bottom of the seventh on three straight two-out singles, but a Maguire's solo HR to left with two outs in the eighth to pull GVSU back to within one (7-6).

Junior Matt Cade picked up the victory in relief and improved to 8-0 on the year. Cade yielded two runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings of work. Senior Ben Knuth yielded six runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings. Jablonski retired the final two batters for his first save of the year.

Gendron and Anderson were both 4-for-7 with two RBIs in the game. Maguire was 3-for-6 with two RBIs, while Robrahn and Raj each drove in one run on three hits apiece. Grice drove in two runs with his 12th inning double. Nickels also tallied a pair of hits in the Lakers' 23-hit outing. Gendron's 12th inning double was his 20th of the season, giving him the single-season record. Robrahn's double was the 47th in his career, breaking the previous career mark held by Scott Allen (46).