Feb. 23, 2014
Box Score
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Senior first baseman Giancarlo Brugnoni sits alone at the top of the Grand Valley State career home run list after his career day in a 12-6 victory for the No. 4 Lakers over Southern Indiana.
Grand Valley State moves to 2-1 on the year, while Southern Indiana falls to 2-4. The Lakers will next be in action over spring break, when the team heads to Florida to take part in the RussMatt Invitational.
Brugnoni made his mark on history in the top of the first inning. Following a one-out single by junior Jesse Abel and a flyout, Brugnoni came to the plate and took the first pitch he saw over the opposite field wall in right field for a 2-0 Laker lead. It was the 33rd long ball of his career, breaking him out of a tie with Dustin Vugteveen (2000-01) at the top of the caree home run list.
After Southern Indiana got one back in the bottom of the first and the teams exchanged scoreless at-bats in the second inning, Brugnoni kept his huge day going in the top of the third. The rally started with a one-out single from junior Mike Nadratowski and a single from Abel that put runners on first and third. After Abel stole second and junior Kevin Zak walked, Brugnoni came to the plate and cleared the bases with a three-RBI double in to left field, making it a 5-1 game.
Senior Taylor Banks then walked and junior Jamie Potts singled to load the bases again, and this time it was senior Stuart Eisler who delivered with a two-RBI single in to left field to make it a 7-1 advantage for the Lakers.
After junior Dalton Reust walked and everyone moved up on a wild pitch that scored Potts, freshman Joel Schipper walked to load the bases yet again, this time for Nadratowski. Nadratowski hit a sharp ground ball back to the pitcher that was knocked down, but they were only able to get the out at first, scoring Eisler and putting runners on second and third with two out. Another walk, this time by Abel, loaded the bases again, and Zak delivered a two-RBI single of his own to left field to make it an 11-1 game. The bases were loaded one more time following a Brugnoni walk, but a flyout to right field ended the inning.
All told, the 45-minute half-inning saw 15 batters come to the plate for the Lakers, six hits, six walks, five times where the bases were loaded and four pitchers by Southern Indiana.
GVSU would add one more in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Schipper, and Southern Indiana would add one in the bottom of the sixth and three more in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 12-6, but GVSU would nail down the victory in the ninth.
Brugnoni finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs, five RBI, a double and his first home run of the season, along with etching his name at the top of the career home runs list at GVSU. Eisler went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI, while Abel was 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk and Potts went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Junior Evan Nietfeldt collected the victory on the mound in his Laker debut, going six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with three strikeouts. Junior Kevin Hallberg, freshman Jordan Drake and junior Adam Poel all contributed one inning of scoreless relief.
The Lakers' next game will be on March 3rd at 6 p.m. against Lewis in Auburndale, Fla.
