April 30, 2011
Game One - GVSU 9, WSU 4
Game Two - GVSU 9, WSU 3
Detroit, Mich. -
Grand Valley State swept a GLIAC twinbill at Wayne State Saturday, winning game one 9-4 in nine innings, followed by a 9-3 victory in game two. GVSU improves to 37-3 overall and 26-1 in GLIAC action. Grand Valley State and Wayne State will complete the four-game series Sunday beginning at 12 noon in Detroit.
The Lakers won game one in comeback fashion, scoring a single run in the top of the seventh to tie the score 4-4. The Lakers then faced a bases loaded situation with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but relief pitcher Chris Whitney got a pair of fly outs to send the game into the eighth frame.
Grand Valley State struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Senior RF Paul Young singled and went to second on a failed pick off attempt. Following groundout by junior CF Cody Grice and a walk to junior LF Steve Anderson, freshman 1B Giancarlo Brugnoni reached on a fielding error by the third baseman that scored Young. Anderson then scored on a single to right field by senior SS Andrew Trepel. Wayne State scored two in the second and two in the third to take a 4-2 lead. GVSU came back with a single run in the top of the fourth on two hits. Junior 2B Garrett Yatch drove in Trepel who reached via a walk. Trailing 4-3 heading into the top of the seventh, Young singled to short and moved to second on a throwing error with one out. Grice moved Young to third on an infield single and Anderson scored Young with sac bunt.
GVSU exploded four five runs on five hits in the top of the ninth. Yatch opened the inning with a single, followed by a double to right from Young. Grice scored Yatch with a sac fly, while Anderson drove in Young with a single to left. Brugnoni singled and Trepel scored Anderson with a double to left center. Junior 3B Brian Robinson scored Brugnoni on a fielder's choice and sophomore catcher Zach Laupp scored Trepel on another fielder's choice.
Whitney picked up the win with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief work. Senior Joe Jablonski pitched 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, but was not involved in the decision. Trepel was 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, while Yatch, Young, Grice, Brugnoni and Laupp each collected two hits.
GVSU scored three runs in the top of the third of game two on four hits. Junior catcher Jared Cowan doubled to right and moved to third on a ground out by DH Cory Phillips. Yatch singled home Cowan and Young followed with a single to left. Anderson delivered a two-out double to left to score Yatch and Young. The Lakers scored a single run in the top of the fifth without a hit. Yatch walked and went to second on a sac bunt from Young. Yatch stole third and scored on a sac fly RBI from Grice.
Wayne State scored in the bottom of the fifth, but the Lakers were able to get the run back in the top of the sixth. Brugnoni singled and moved to second on a sac bunt from Trepel. Robinson then drove in Brunoni with a single up the middle to up the GVSU lead to 5-1. WSU pulled closer with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on four hits.
Yatch opened the seventh with a walk and moved to third on a double to left off the bat of Young. Grice drove in two runs with a single to left and moved to second when Anderson was hit by a pitch. Brugnoni sacraficed Grice and Anderson up a base and both scored on a wild pitch.
Junior pitcher Kyle Schepel upped his record to 8-0 on the year, yielding one run on five hits in 4.2 innings of work. Sophomore pitcher Brad Zambron picked up his sixth save of the year in 2.1 innings.
Grice drove in three runs and Anderson added a pair of RBIs. Yatch scored three runs and drove in one, while Robinson drove in one run.
GVSU has won 17 straight games and is 31-1 in its last 32 games since a loss to Southwest Minnesota State on March 5 in Florida. The Lakers are 17-0 in road games, 11-2 in neutral site games and 9-1 at home.
