Feb. 12, 2011
Box Score
Greenwood, S.C. - #25 Grand Valley State (1-1) dropped a close contest to #8 Tampa (3-2) at the Lander Baseball Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 12) in the second of three games on the weekend. After building a five-run lead in the fifth inning and getting strong pitching from junior Kyle Schepel, The Lakers were victim of a comeback from the Spartans, as Tampa took the game by a final score of 8-6.
The Lakers were threatening in three of the first four innings, as they had a runner on third base with less than two outs in the first, second, and fourth innings. However, they couldn't break through to push the runner across the plate.
In the top of the fifth, Grand Valley State finally broke out, and in a big way. Junior Jared Cowan singled down the left field line and freshman Giancarlo Brugnoni singled to center put runners at first and third with nobody out. Senior Cory Phillips then pushed across the first run of the game, singling to left field to score Cowan. After junior Garrett Yatch was hit by a pitch to load the bases, senior Paul Young continued his hot start to the season with a triple to right-center field that cleared the bases, giving the Lakers a 4-0 lead. Junior Cody Grice followed that up with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Young, and Grand Valley State found themselves with a 5-0 lead.
After four innings of three-hit ball by Schepel, Tampa roared back in the bottom half of the fifth inning off the Laker bullpen. A single, hit by pitch, and double that scored both runners cut the Laker lead to 5-2, and a sacrifice fly added another run for the Spartans to make it a 5-3 game after five complete innings.
The Lakers were retired in order in the top of the sixth, and Tampa continued their comeback, as a bunt single and error put their lead-off man at second. An RBI double to left-center scored him to make it a 5-4 game, but sophomore Brad Zambron got out of trouble with the lead after six innings.
Tampa mounted yet another offensive push in the bottom of the seventh inning, leading off the inning with two singles before a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out. An error on the next batter allowed both runs to score to give the Spartans a 6-5 lead after seven innings.
Tampa added two runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it an 8-5 game, including a solo homer to lead off the inning.
Grand Valley State tried to keep the Spartans uncomfortable in the top of the ninth, as a Brugnoni single and Yatch single put two runners on, and a Yatch stolen base put both runners in scoring position with one out. Senior Torre Aguirre came in as a pinch-hitter, lifting a sacrifice fly to center field to score Brugnoni, making it an 8-6 game and advancing Yatch to third. After a Grice walk put the tying run on base, junior Steve Anderson flew out to center field to end the Laker threat.
The Lakers were led by Young on offense for the second straight game, as he continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 performance that included a three-RBI triple, a double and a run scored. Senior Andrew Trepel, Phillips and Brugnoni each went 2-for-4 in the game. Schepel was strong on the mound, pitching four innings, allowing only three hits while striking out six. Zambron (0-1) took the loss for Grand Valley State, allowing five hits and two earned runs in two innings of work.
The Lakers are back in action on Sunday (Feb. 13) at 11 a.m. when they take on Lynn University (3-2) for the final game of the invitational. Lynn defeated 5th-ranked Mt. Olive on Friday by a score of 7-5, but dropped Saturday's game to host Lander by a score of 11-5.
