March 10, 2010
Box Score
Tampa, Fla. - The #5 Grand Valley State Lakers had their first true away game of the season, traveling to Tampa to take on the nationally ranked Spartans. Tampa used a 10-run second inning to oust the Lakers, handing Grand Valley State their first loss of the spring trip and second loss of the year.
Tampa got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning when Mike Schwartz took a Kyle Schepel pitch deep towards the right field scoreboard for the first homerun allowed by a Laker pitcher this year, giving Tampa a 1-0 lead.
Grand Valley State responded in the top of the second inning as Brad Raj led off the inning with a single to left-center field, and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by pitcher Michael Park that bounced to the fence behind the first baseman. Zach Laupp came up a couple hitters later and drove a double into the right field gap to score Raj and tie the game at one.
Tampa answered in a big way though, loading the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second, and scoring a run on a groundball to first that got thrown away at second, rendering everyone safe and giving Tampa a 2-1 lead. A rare single to the right field wall by the next batter brought another run in to make it a 3-1 lead and keep the bases loaded, warranting a mound visit from the GVSU pitching coach. A Schepel hit by pitch against Correy Figueroa brought yet another run in on the next at-bat, giving Tampa a 4-1 lead. After a flyout to the right fielder to get the first out of the inning, a bases loaded walk made it a 5-1 lead for Tampa. A Schepel strikeout got the second out of the inning, but a Devin Gonzalez single to the right field gap brought home two more, giving Tampa a 7-1 lead. Schepel threw a wild pitch on a 1-2 count against the next batter, scoring another run for Tampa and advancing another runner from second to third. The next batter, Mike Blanke, hit an opposite field homerun to make it an 11-1 lead for Tampa before Schepel was replaced by Jared Knuth. Knuth got the final out of the inning with a groundout to first base.
The Lakers tried to respond in the top of the third, but a 1-out Cory Maguire double to center field got stranded there.
Tampa added two more in the bottom of the third when a double down the left field line scored a runner all the way from third, making it a 12-1 game, and the next hitter laced a single to left field to make it a 13-1 lead.
After Tampa added one more in the fourth inning and two in the fifth inning to make it a 16-1 game, Grand Valley State had their best output in the top of seventh. A Steve Anderson hit by pitch started the inning, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting up a Zach Laupp single to center field which scored him. The next batter, Brian Robinson, singled to left-center field, scoring Paul Young who had walked earlier in the inning, to make it a 16-3 game. The Lakers added one more on a Cody Grice fielder's choice that scored Laupp to make the score 16-4. Tampa would add one more in the bottom half of the seventh to make it a 17-4 game, which would turn out to be the final.
Schepel (1-2) took the loss for the Lakers, going 1.2 innings and allowing six hits, 11 runs (four earned), and two walks to go with three strikeouts. Knuth pithced 5.1 innings of relief and allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned) with four strikeouts. Mark Riashi finished out the game with a scoreless eighth inning against the Spartans. Leading the way hitting was Laupp, who went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Robinson was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Grice added another RBI. Kyle Gendron was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk in the contest.
Michael Park got the win for Tampa, going five innings and allowing seven hits and one run. Tampa's leading hitters were catcher Mike Blanke who went 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBI, and a homerun, and Mike Schwartz who went 3-for-4 with four runs, three RBI, a walk, and a homerun.
This was the most lopsided victory for an opponent since March 12, 2005, when the Lakers lost to Emporia State 16-1 and Central Missouri State 25-0 on the same day. That 2005 team went on to advance to the semi-finals of the College World Series.
Grand Valley State continues their spring trip tomorrow (Mar. 11) with a doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State (3-5) at Chain of Lakes Field #2 in Winter Haven. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
