March 4, 2012
Box Score
Winter Haven, Fla. - The fifth-ranked Grand Valley State baseball team got off to a winning start on its spring trip. GVSU took down West Virginia Wesleyan, 14-9, behind a big game from senior outfielder Steve Anderson and 18 strikeouts by the Laker pitching staff.
West Virginia Wesleyan actually took the upper hand early in the contest, pushing across the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI groundout.
The Lakers got things turned around in the top of the third inning, the first of three straight big innings for GVSU. Freshmen Lance Buitendyk and Mike Nadratowski led off the frame with walks, then junior Chris Rudenga was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Junior Stephen Claypool tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Buitendyk and then Anderson brought in the other two runners with a triple off the base of the wall in the right field gap to put the Lakers up 3-1. Junior Chris Ripple singled through the left side just after that to bring in Anderson to make it 4-1 and an RBI double by redshirt freshman Kevin Zak down the left field line made it a 5-1 game.
The Bobcats battled back in the bottom of the third, scoring on an RBI double and a passed ball to cut the Laker lead to 5-3.
GVSU got those runs back and more in the top of the fourth. After two quick outs, Rudenga hit a sharp single to third base and then Claypool hit a high chopper to second that he beat out, forcing a bad throw that moved Rudenga to third. Anderson came up with two guys on again and brought them in again, this time lacing a double down the right field line to make it a 7-3 advantage. After Ripple was hit by a pitch, senior Derrik Strzalkowski hit a triple over the right fielder's head to bring both runners in, making it a 9-3 game.
The top of the fifth was the third straight big inning for the Lakers as Nadratowski hit an RBI single and one run came in off a misplay by the second baseman. Anderson had yet another two-RBI hit and Strzalkowski, for the second straight inning, had an extra base hit, this time an RBI-double to put the Lakers up 14-3.
Senior Cory Rademacher came on in relief in the sixth inning and struck out three of the first four batters he faced. West Virginia Wesleyan was able to get one run off of him in the bottom of the seventh, using the strong left field-to-right field wind to poke a home run out to the opposite field to make it a 14-4 game. The Bobcats made things a little uneasy for the Lakers in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with nobody out and hitting a two-RBI double. After that, WVWC used the wind to their advantage again and crushed a three-run homer out to right field to cut the lead to 14-9. The Lakers were able to nail things down after that though, getting a strikeout to end the game.
Senior Kyle Schepel moved to 2-0 on the year (24-3 career) with five innings pitched and a career-high 10 strikeouts. Rademacher worked two innings of relief, striking out five while allowing one hit. Senior Chris Whitney worked the final two innings in relief with three strikeouts. As a team, the Lakers' 18 strikeouts is the most for the team since at least 2000, and the most since striking out 16 against C.W. Post on March 10th, 2009. Just prior to that, the Lakers struck out 16 against West Virginia Wesleyan on March 1st, 2009. GVSU has struck out 34 Bobcats in their last two games against each other.
Anderson paced the offense, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a career-high six RBI. He and Strzalkowski both were a homer away from hitting for the cycle. Strzalkowski finished the day tying career-highs in hits (3) and RBI (3) while setting a career-high with six total bases. Claypool also had three hits, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Nadratowski went 2-for-5 with a run scored and RBI while Ripple was 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI. Zak went 2-for-4 while Buitendyk coaxed three walks and scored twice.
For West Virginia Wesleyan, Gene Franks and Mark Darlington each went 2-for-5 with one run and three RBI. Shea Davis took the loss for the Bobcats, surrendering five runs, five hits and three walks in three innings pitched.
Grand Valley State is now 3-1 on the year while West Virginia Wesleyan falls to 1-5 on the season.
The Lakers will take part in a game between a pair of national top 15's on Monday (Mar. 5) when GVSU takes on #11 Seton Hill (7-1) at 6 p.m. at Lake Myrtle Complex in Auburndale, Fla. Fans can follow along with the game by watching or participating in the live chat by clicking here.
