March 10, 2014
Game One Box Score (6-4 L vs #5 Minnesota State)
Game Two Box Score (7-3 W vs Winona State)
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The 11th-ranked Grand Valley State baseball team split a pair of nine inning doubleheaders on Monday (Mar. 10), the team's final day in Florida on its annual spring trip. The Lakers fell to No. 5 Minnesota State, 6-4, before rebounding for a 7-3 victory over Winona State in the nightcap.
The split moves GVSU to 8-4 overall, while Minnesota State is now 10-2 and Winona State is now 2-5.
The Lakers will stay south for their next three games, playing in the Trevecca Baseball Classic in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday (Mar. 15) and Sunday (Mar. 16), beginning with a doubleheader against Mercyhurst and Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
In game one of the day, a big match-up on the Division II landscape early in the season between a pair of top-11 teams, and a rematch from the first round of the 2013 NCAA Division II Baseball National Finals, the Lakers took an early lead, putting up yet another run in the first inning.
Mike Nadratowski led off the game with a triple inside the first base bag that rolled in to the right field corner and scored on a high fly ball from Jesse Abel that was dropped by the right fielder, making it a 1-0 game and putting Abel at second. Kevin Zak followed with a single to put runners on the corners, then stole second, but two strikeouts and a fly out to center field ended the potential big inning.
In the bottom of the second, Minnesota State came back, pushing two runs across with a two-RBI single in to center field to give the Mavericks a 2-1 lead.
The lead was extended to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth, which began with a fielding error. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second, an RBI single up the middle brought the run in and a two-RBI double to right field made it a 5-1 game.
In the top of the seventh, GVSU got itself back in to the game, getting a lead-off walk from Jamie Potts and a one-out single from Chris Ripple to put two on. A two-out hit by pitch loaded the bases and Zak delivered, lacing a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield to make it a 5-3 game. Brugnoni followed with an RBI double in to the right field corner to make it 5-4.
The Mavericks answered with an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run and the Minnesota State bullpen got the final six outs in order to preserve the 6-4 victory.
Zak led the offense with a 2-for-4, two RBI performance, while Abel and Brugnoni each had one hit and one RBI. Ripple went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Dalton Reust contributed 1.1 innings of hitless relief on the mound with two strikeouts.
In game two, Winona State took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first with the help of an error and an RBI single, but the Lakers responded with a big inning in the bottom of the third.
The inning began with a bunt single from Stuart Eisler and a Joel Schipper hit by pitch put two on. Nadratowski then cut the lead in half with an RBI single in to right-center field. After a stolen base from Nadratowski put two runners in scoring position with one out, Zak delivered another big hit, tying the game with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. The Lakers loaded the bases with a Brugnoni walk, then took the lead on an RBI single from Jamie Potts. Taylor Banks delivered the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center field to put GVSU up 4-2.
The Warriors answered in the next half-inning, pushing a single run across with a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-3 game.
GVSU ended the scoring in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs, loading the bases with nobody out after singles from Abel and Zak and a Brugnoni walk. Potts then cleared the bases with a double down the right field line that made it a 7-3 game.
Evan Nietfeldt (3-0) picked up his third victory in as many starts, going eight strong innings, allowing only five hits. Ripple pitched a hitless ninth inning that included one strikeout.
Potts had a big game, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, while Zak went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Eisler, Schipper, Brugnoni and Nadratowski each had one hit and one run scored, while Nadratowski had an RBI.
