May 12, 2011

Box Score

Chillicothe, Ohio - The top-ranked Lakers used some big hits to upend Saginaw Valley State in the first game of the 2011 GLIAC Baseball Tournament on Thursday (May 12) by a score of 6-4. A two-run homer by senior Torre Aguirre in the bottom of the second put GVSU on top early, but it was a bases clearing double from senior Cory Phillips in the sixth that proved to be the deciding play in the game. The Lakers will play at noon on Friday (May 13) against Wayne State.

The Lakers got on the board first in the bottom of the second with a two-run bomb from Aguirre to the opposite field after freshman Giancarlo Brugnoni walked. The two-run lead didn't last long however, as the Cardinals took a 3-2 lead in the top of the third on a bases loaded double.

GVSU trailed until the bottom of the fifth inning when back-to-back doubles from senior Paul Young and junior Cody Grice tied the game at three.

The bottom of the sixth started with a single from senior Andrew Trepel up the middle and after a pop-up to get the first out of the inning, junior Jared Cowan singled in to center field to put two runners on. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, senior Dan Ponegalek walked to load the bases. Phillips came to the plate and hit a bases clearing double into the left field gap to score all three and put the Lakers on top 6-3.

The Cardinals pushed one run across in the top of the ninth, but it wasn't enough as sophomore Brad Zambron nailed down his 10th save of the season, giving him a single-season record at GVSU for saves.

Junior Kyle Schepel moved to 10-0 on the season with the victory, throwing seven innings and allowing five hits, three runs and a walk while striking out three. Junior Chris Whitney threw one inning of scoreless baseball while Zambron allowed no hits and struck out two.

Aguirre went 3-for-4 with one run, two RBI and his fourth homer of the year. Phillips' three-run double was his only hit of the game as he finished 1-for-5 with three RBI. Trepel was 2-for-4 with one run. Grice had one RBI in the game and stole his 19th base of the year.

The Lakers are now 46-3 on the season, tying the NCAA Division II record for the best winning percentage in a single season. GVSU will face Wayne State at noon on Friday in the winner's bracket as the Warriors were a 7-6 winner over Ashland in 12 innings. Saginaw Valley State will face Ashland in an elimination game at 3 p.m. on Friday.