GVSU Claims 12-11 Comeback Win Over Wayne State In GLIAC Tournament

May 8, 2009

Chillicothe, OH - Grand Valley State scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim a 12-11 comeback win over Wayne State in GLIAC Tournament action Friday afternoon in Chillicothe, Ohio. The Lakers (40-13-1) advance to Saturday's Championship game slated for 11 a.m. at VA Memorial Stadium. Grand Valley State has now won 16 straight GLIAC Tournament games.

Wayne State jumped on the Lakers early and often. The Warriors scored three in the top of the first, added two more in the third, a single run in the fifth and four in the sixth to take a 10-4 lead. WSU added another in the top of the seventh to build an 11-4 lead. GVSU scored a single run of its own in the bottom of the seventh to pull within seven (11-5).

SS Brad Raj opened the eighth inning with a shot up the middle that glanced off the pitchers mound to the WSU second baseman for the first out of the inning. From that point on it was all GVSU as the Lakers scored seven runs on seven hits. GLIAC Freshman of the Year Cody Grice singled to center and freshman catcher Jared Cowan hit a pinch-hit 2-run HR to straight away center. LF Scott Cain singled to center and pinch hitter Steve Anderson walked. 2B Kyle Gendron doubled to left to score Cain. 1B Cory Maguire hit a sacrafice fly to score Anderson and pull the Lakers within two (11-9). Gendron advanced to third on a single by CF Casey Robran to set up a drmatic three-run HR by DH Ben Knuth to give the Lakers a 12-11 lead. Knuth's HR cleared the scoreboard in left center and left Wayne State stunned. Relief pitcher David Bowman earned his fourth save in the last 10 days with a scoreless ninth.

Cory Rademacher picked up the win with 2.3 innings of work. Rademacher struck out three and yielded just one run. GVSU rapped out 18 hits en route to scoring 12 runs. Robrahn was 4-5 with one RBI, while Maguire was 3-4 with an RBI. Cain was 2-4 with two RBIs, Gendron was 2-5 with 2 RBIs and his eighth home run of the year. Knuth's home run was also his eighth of the year. Raj was 2-5 with a solo HR, while Grice was 2-5.

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