May 10, 2012
Box Score
Chillicothe, Ohio - The ninth-ranked Grand Valley State baseball team continued its run in the 2012 GLIAC Tournament on Thursday (May 10), taking down Tiffin by a 6-0 score. Senior Ryan Garman (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Johnson County C.C.) was the story, throwing 8.2 shutout innings with six strikeouts to stifle the Dragons.
The Lakers, who swept a four-game series from Tiffin in the regular season, got off to a fast start, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning off an RBI single from senior Steve Anderson (Northville, Mich.).
GVSU extended its lead in the top of the third with two more runs. A one-out single from freshman Mike Nadratowski (Canton, Mich./Plymouth) and a walk from senior Brian Robinson (Troy, Mich.) followed by a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. Redshirt freshman Kevin Zak (Novi, Mich.) then came to the plate and roped a single back up the middle to score two and extend the lead to 3-0.
The Lakers kept pouring it on in the top of the fourth, starting with a lead-off triple from sophomore Giancarlo Brugnoni (Grosse Pointe, Mich./De La Salle). Brugnoni came in to score on a sharp grounder from senior Jared Cowan (Davison, Mich.). Later, with two runners on, Nadratowski beat out a throw from second that sailed near the dugout, allowing both runners to score and the Lakers to go up 6-0.
Meanwhile, Garman kept rolling through the Tiffin lineup. After allowing two first-inning singles, Garman allowed only one hit between the second and ninth innings. Garman was lifted with two outs in the ninth at 115 pitches with two runners on base, but senior Chris Whitney (Macomb, Mich./Kellogg C.C.) got the final out to preserve the shutout.
Garman (9-2) earned the victory with a final line of 8.2 innings, four hits allowed, no runs, four walks and six strikeouts.
Nadratowski had a three-hit day, going 3-for-5 with a run scored, RBI and two stolen bases, giving him 20 on the season. Zak finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk, while Anderson went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Tiffin is eliminated from the GLIAC Tournament with the loss. Ashland was ousted from the tournament earlier in the day with a 4-1 loss to Saginaw Valley State.
The Lakers will play Wayne STate at 10:30 a.m. on Friday (May 11) at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. The Warriors defeated Lake Erie, 6-1, in the late game on Thursday evening.
