March 6, 2012
Box Score
Auburndale, Fla. - The #5 Grand Valley State baseball team rebounded in a big way on Tuesday (Mar. 6), smacking 20 hits en route to a 12-3 victory over Notre Dame College (Ohio). The eight and nine hitters for GVSU went a combined 7-for-9 with five runs scored and five RBI.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Zak brought in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second. Junior Stephen Claypool and senior Steve Anderson each drove in a run in the top of the third, Anderson's coming courtesy of his second triple of the season.
Freshman Jamie Potts brought two more runs in with a triple to the left field gap in the top of the fourth inning to push the lead out to 5-0.
After Notre Dame cut in to the lead with an RBI ground out in the bottom of the fourth, the Lakers responded with an RBI single from junior Chris Rudenga in the top of the sixth to push the lead back out to five, 6-1.
The big GVSU inning came in the top of the seventh. Anderson and sophomore Giancarlo Brugnoni led off the frame with singles before senior Derrik Strzalkowski brought Anderson in on a single through the right side. After a fly out from Zak moved Brugnoni to third, senior Jared Cowan doubled over the left fielder's head to bring both runners in to push the lead out to 9-1. Freshman Lance Buitendyk then brought Cowan in with an RBI single of his own.
The Falcons pushed two more runs across in the bottom of the eighth, but again the Lakers responded, again with an RBI double from Cowan. After he brought in one run with a double just inside the third base bag, Buitendyk singled the other way, to right field, and Cowan crossed the plate for the fourth time in the game, a career-high for the senior catcher.
Senior Brett Gwaltney would throw a scoreless inning of relief in the ninth to help the Lakers to a 12-3 victory.
Senior Cory Baker kept his ERA flawless with another great outing on the mound. Baker (2-0) picked up the victory with six innings of work, allowing four hits while striking out six and not surrendering an earned run.
Cowan and Buitendyk, the bottom two hitters in the Laker lineup, went 7-for-9 with five runs and five RBI in the game, Cowan's four runs and two doubles being career-highs for him. Buitendyk's 4-for-5 performance were the first hits of his GVSU career.
Anderson went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI while Strzalkowski, Brugnoni, Claypool and Rudenga each had two hits in the contest. GVSU's 20 hits in the game were a season-high.
Taylor Neville led Notre Dame on offense, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk. Jesse Bartle had two RBI for the Falcons. Simon Davis took the loss, allowing nine hits and five earned runs in four innings of work.
GVSU moves to 4-2 on the year with the win while Notre Dame falls to 5-8.
The Lakers will now prepare for a big match-up against perennial top 25 team Minnesota State. The Mavericks will enter the game with an 8-2 record and ranked 15th in the latest NCBWA poll.
First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Lake Myrtle Stadium in Auburndale.
