March 8, 2011
Game One Box Score (3-2 W, 10 inn.)
Game Two Box Score (8-1 W)
Winter Haven, Fla. - #7 Grand Valley State (9-2) used some late-inning heroics in game one and then blasted #11 West Chester (3-3) in game two for a doubleheader sweep of the Golden Rams on Tuesday (Mar. 8). The Lakers took game one 3-2 in 10 innings while they were victorious in game two 8-1. Senior Paul Young had a two out, two strike, pinch hit two-run inside the park home run in the bottom of the seventh inning with GV trailing 2-0 to send game one to extras.
In game one, West Chester took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning off an RBI single to left field with two outs and then an RBI double down the left field line.
It was the seventh inning that provided all the fireworks for today's doubleheader. With GV only collecting two hits on the game heading into the bottom of the last inning, a little luck and a lot of focus went a long way to keep the Lakers in it. Junior Derrik Strzalkowski led the inning off with a routine fly ball to center field that the centerfielder dropped after it hit his glove. Strzalkowski pulled into second and was pinch-ran for by Blake Batteast. After a Chris Rudenga groundout to second base moved Batteast to third and an Andrew Trepel pop-up yielded no movement on the basepaths, Coach Lyon sent Young to the plate to pinch-hit with the Lakers down to their last out. Young then took a 3-2 pitch down the right field line, as the ball hopped around first base and into the bullpen area in foul territory. Batteast scored easily from third and Young flew around the bases, getting sent home by third-base coach Jamie Detillion after the cutoff throw tailed away from the cutoff man. Young scored standing up to cap off the game-tying inside the park homerun and make it a 2-2 score.
Sophomore Brad Zambron (1-1) came in to relieve senior Joe Jablonski in the eighth inning and retired nine out of 10 batters to keep the game tied at two. Trepel then came up in the bottom of the 10th inning of the scheduled seven-inning game and doubled down the right field line to lead things off. Cory Phillips then had a one-out single towards third base on a bunt as the third baseman was playing back, advancing Trepel to third. Junior Garrett Yatch then walked on four straight pitches and Dan Ponegalek came to the plate and drew a walk-off walk on five pitches to send the Lakers to victory by a 3-2 score.
Zambron earned the victory for GV, going three innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two in relief. The starter Jablonski, who was searching for his record-breaking 22nd career victory as a Laker, went a strong seven innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out eight.
Young was the hero on offense, as his inside the park homer was his only at bat, finishing the game 1-for-1 with one run scored and two RBI. Phillips, Trepel, Rudenga and Cody Grice all went 1-for-4 in the game.
Game two was a much different story for the Lakers, as GV put up a five-spot in the first inning to take an early lead. Phillips led the game off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Grice then tripled down into the left field corner with one out, scoring Phillips to take a 1-0 lead. Steve Anderson then brought Grice in with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 with two outs. After Strzalkowski walked on four straight pitches, Ponegalek singled up the middle and Trepel walked to load the bases for Jared Cowan. After a wild pitch scored Strzalkowski to make it 3-0, Cowan singled back up the middle to score the other two runners from second and third, giving GV a 5-0 cushion after one inning.
The Lakers added two more in the top of the second with a Grice sacrifice fly and a Strzalkowski RBI single to make it a 7-0 game and Young singled home Trepel in the top of the third to give GV an 8-0 lead.
Junior Kyle Schepel (2-0) was baffling West Chester hitters all game, not surrendering a hit until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Golden Rams got a one out double over the left fielder's head. They would end up getting one run in on a sacrifice fly that inning, but that was all for the 11th-ranked team in the country as the Lakers took the nightcap by a score of 8-1.
Schepel got the win for the Lakers, going six innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out nine hitters. Jake Kent pitched a scoreless inning of relief to finish the game.
On offense, the team was led by Grice who went 2-for-3 with one run and two RBI. Cowan was 1-for-4 with two RBI while Young, Strzalkowski and Anderson all had one hit and one RBI in the game.
The Lakers will be back on the field on Wednesday (Mar. 9) when they take on Rockhurst (3-1) in a doubleheader slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. in Winter Haven, Fla.
