April 10, 2012
Game One Box Score (4-0 W) | Photo Gallery 
Game Two Box Score (12-1 W)
Allendale, Mich. - The #21 Grand Valley State baseball team surrendered only one run and seven hits in 14 innings of work on Tuesday (Apr. 10), highlighted by senior Kyle Schepel (Grand Rapids, Mich./Christian) in game one. Schepel was three outs away from no-hitting the Chargers during a 4-0 victory, but instead went 6.1 innings and allowed one hit, tying a career high with 10 strikeouts.
The Lakers jumped out to an early lead in game one, putting three runs up in the bottom of the first. Freshman Mike Nadratowski (Canton, Mich./Plymouth) led off with a walk and then stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. After a walk by senior Brian Robinson (Troy, Mich.), redshirt freshman Kevin Zak (Novi, Mich.) singled to the opposite field, scoring Nadratowski to make it a 1-0 game. With two runners already on, senior Steve Anderson (Northville, Mich.) got hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out and senior Jared Cowan (Davison, Mich.) brought Robinson in with an RBI groundout to make it 2-0. Sophomore Giancarlo Brugnoni (Grosse Pointe, Mich./De La Salle) then singled on a high chopper in the infield to bring in the third run of the inning.
GVSU put another run on the board in the bottom of the fourth when a single in to right field by Robinson allowed freshman Mitchell Kozlowski (Madison Heights, Mich./Lamphere) to come around and score following a bobble in the outfield.
At one point, Schepel retired nine Charger batters in a row between the first and fourth innings, then struck out five of six batters between the fourth and fifth innings.
Schepel sat at 88 pitches entering the seventh inning with no hits on the board for Hillsdale. Junior Mike Vanchieri, however, rolled that counter to a one with a seeing eye single that found its way through the diving gloves of both the third baseman and shortstop, ending the no-hit bid. Schepel got the next batter to pop out but exited the game after going to a 1-0 count on the following batter, giving way to junior Brad Zambron (Waterford, Mich./Brother Rice) who recorded strikeouts for the final two outs of the game.
Schepel's (6-2) final line was 6.1 innings, one hit, four walks and 10 strikeouts, which tied a career high that Schepel set earlier this season against West Virginia Wesleyan.
The offense was led by Zak, who finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, RBI and a walk. Cowan and Brugnoni each had one RBI and Nadratowski stole two bases in the game.
Game two turned in to an offensive slugfest for the Lakers, getting on the board early yet again with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Nadratowski again got things started, this time with a single through the right side, then stole second base for his third steal of the day. Robinson followed with a single and both runners moved up on a wild pitch to make it a 1-0 game. After a ground out, Anderson singled in Robinson to make it a 2-0 game.
The Lakers put up two more runs in the bottom of the second, one on an RBI double by Nadratowski that scored junior Chris Rudenga (South Holland, Ill./Illiana Christian), who led off the inning with a single. The other run came in after Zak beat out a double play that allowed Kozlowski to score and make it a 4-0 advantage for the Lakers.
A single run came in for the Lakers in the third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Stephen Claypool (Carleton, Mich./Ball State) that scored Cowan to make it 5-0, then GVSU put the game away with a five-run fourth inning to make it 10-0. The inning began with two straight errors on routine ground balls and the inning snowballed from there. Nadratowski had a two-RBI single that brought in the final two runs of the inning.
The Chargers got their only run of the day in the top of the sixth off an RBI double down the right field line with runners on the corners for Breymaier. GVSU answered with two more runs in the bottom of the inning, one on an RBI ground out by redshirt freshman Matthew Schuch (Holland, Mich./West Ottawa) and one off a wild pitch to make it 12-1.
Nadratowski paced the offense in the nightcap, going 3-for-4 with one run, a season-high three RBI, a double and a stolen base. Anderson and Rudenga each had two hits, Anderson driving a run in and Rudenga scoring once, as well. Senior Zach Laupp (Mattawan, Mich.) reached base in all three of his plate appearances, going 1-for-1 with two walks and a run scored.
Senior Ryan Garman (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Johnson County C.C.) (5-2) earned the victory on the mound, going five innings and allowing only three hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Junior Kyle Zegarac (Lansing, Ill./Parkland College) made his season debut for the Lakers, striking out two batters in one inning of work. Sophomore Cody Westerhuis (Allendale, Mich.) threw a scoreless seventh, striking out three.
The sweep moves the Lakers to 20-10 on the year with a 10-6 mark in the GLIAC, while Hillsdale falls to 6-24 with a 4-14 record in the conference.
The Lakers are back on the field on Wednesday (Apr. 11) for another mid-week doubleheader, this time to take on Northwood at 2 p.m. at the Laker Baseball Field.
