April 20, 2014

Box Score

PAINESVILLE, Ohio - The 16th-ranked Grand Valley State baseball team dropped the three-game series finale to Lake Erie on Saturday (Apr. 19), as the Storm won 5-3 despite four Lakers collecting two or more hits in the contest.

The loss drops the Lakers to 24-11 overall on the year with a 15-6 record in the GLIAC, while Lake Erie moves to 23-14 overall with a 17-7 mark in the conference.

GVSU will return home for a three-game series against Findlay next weekend, beginning with a doubleheader against the Oilers next Saturday (Apr. 26) at 1 p.m.

For the third game in a row, the Lakers got on the board first, as GVSU got an RBI single from Stuart Eisler in the top of the second inning that scored Giancarlo Brugnoni, who singled to lead off the frame.

The Lakers made it a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, with Eisler being the culprit yet again, as he laid down a sacrifice bunt with Jesse Abel on third.

Lake Erie tied the game up in their own half of the fourth inning, scoring on an error and RBI double to make it a 2-2 game.

The Storm took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single, but the Lakers were able to answer in the top of the sixth with an RBI single from Taylor Banks that scored Eisler, who doubled down the left field line.

GVSU would be held scoreless for the rest of the game, as Lake Erie pushed single runs across in both the bottom of the seventh and the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-3.

Eisler led the Laker offense with a 3-for-4 day, scoring once and driving in two. Brugnoni and Abel each went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Mike Nadratowski went 2-for-5.

Starter Evan Nietfeldt (6-1) pitched well, but picked up his first loss of the season, working seven innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts.