Feb. 21, 2014

Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The fourth-ranked Grand Valley State baseball team got big performances from senior Taylor Banks and junior Aaron Jensen, but fell 2-1 to Southern Indiana in the 2014 season-opener on Friday (Feb. 21) at the USI Baseball Field.

The victory moves Southern Indiana to 2-2 on the season, while the Lakers begin the year 0-1.

The 2014 opener began as a pitcher's duel, as neither team's offense could put up much of a threat for the first three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Southern Indiana got a one-out walk, stolen base and a wild pitch to put a man on third, then a single in to left field put the first run on the board.

With Jensen making his GVSU debut and twirling a gem of a game, the Laker offense finally broke through in the top of the ninth inning in its last set of at-bats. Junior Jesse Abel led off the ninth with a single up the middle and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Kevin Zak.

With pinch-runner Ariel Aracena-Sanchez on second, junior Jamie Potts nearly lifted a fly ball over the centerfielder's head to bring the tying run in, but he tracked it down and Aracena-Sanchez had to stay. After senior Giancarlo Brugnoni drew a two-out walk, Banks came to the plate, already 2-for-3 in the game. Banks was able to turn on a 1-1 pitch and drive it in to left field, where the outfielder made a diving play on the ball but could not come up with it. Aracena-Sanchez came around to score the tying run, but an out on the basepaths behind him ended the ninth with the score knotted at one.

In the bottom of the ninth, Southern Indiana rebounded and got a one-out double in to the right field gap. After an intentional walk, Jensen got a big strikeout for the second out of the inning, but it was the last batter he would face after throwing 103 pitches in his first start of the season.

The Screaming Eagles' next two hitters worked the counts and were able to draw two straight walks, pushing the winning run across on a bases loaded walk to take the 2-1 victory.

Banks tied a career-high with three hits, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while junior Mike Nadratowski and Abel each had one hit. As a team, the Lakers did not strike out at all in the game.

Jensen took the tough-luck loss on the mound, throwing a spectacular 8.2 innings, allowing only four hits and two runs with five strikeouts.

The same two teams will face off again on Saturday (Feb. 22) at the USI Baseball Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.