Columbus, Ohio -- Everything was working for the Grand Valley State baseball team on Saturday (March 21). The No. 18 Lakers got outstanding performances from their starting pitchers, and their offense, led by a monster day from redshirt senior Kevin Zak, produced 18 runs, easily sweeping their GLIAC-opening doubleheader at Ohio Dominican.
 
Senior starter Aaron Jensen hurled his fourth career complete game to take the win in the opener. The Big Rapids, Michigan product yielded a mere six hits and struck out four batters, improving to 3-0 on the year. He also carried a shutout into the seventh, but surrendered his only run of the day on a solo home run.
 
Redshirt junior starter Patrick Kelly got the nod in game two. The Brookfield, Illinois native tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just seven hits on 84 pitches. Relievers Tyler Lozen and Jordan Drake combined for the final two innings of work, sealing Kelly's first win of the season.
 
On the hitting side of things, Zak smacked three home runs, drove in seven runs, scored a pair of runs and drew a walk in the doubleheader. The reigning NCBWA Midwest Region Player of the Week became the first Laker to hit three home runs in a doubleheader since Giancarlo Brugnoni accomplished the same feat back on March 9, 2013 versus Charleston (W.Va.).
 
The day started with exactly what one would expect from the red-hot Zak: a home run in the first inning of game one.
 
With the Lakers already on the board, senior outfielder Mike Nadratowski and junior first baseman Josh Griffith collected RBIs in the third inning to stretch the lead. A leadoff single by freshman shortstop Josh Smith set up Nadratowski's RBI double. After senior outfielder Jamie Potts moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt, Griffith hit a grounder to short, bringing the run across.
 
GVSU would pull away the very next inning. The Lakers posted a seven-spot in the fourth, matching their single-inning season high.
 
Back-to-back doubles by Smith and freshman catcher Connor Glick resulted in the first run. Following a Nadratowski walk, Potts doubled down the left field line, plating two more. A fielding error and walk loaded the bases for senior third baseman Aaron Overbeck, who drew a four-pitch base on balls to bring home another run. An RBI single by junior left fielder Jason Ribecky and a one-out grounder to short from senior designated hitter Jesse Abel produced the inning's final two runs.
 
Nadratowski's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, which came after singles from Glick and Smith, capped the GVSU scoring. 
 
Smith finished the game 3-for-3, picking up his first collegiate multi-hit outing. Additionally, Nadratowski, Smith and Zak tallied two runs apiece.
 
GVSU's 11 runs were its highest total in a 7-inning game since a 13-1 victory over Saginaw Valley State on April 9, 2014; its 11 hits were the most in a 7-inning game since April 30, 2014 versus Northwood.
 
While Kelly did excellent work on the mound in game two, Zak stole the show with his bat.
 
With the Lakers already ahead via Ribecky's RBI single in the second, the two-time reigning GLIAC North Player of the Week widened the gap with a two-run shot to left center. But the fireworks were not over. In the eighth, Smith walked, Nadratowski singled and Potts reached on a bunt single, all with one out, loading the bases for Zak. The first pitch he saw left the yard, making it 7-0 Lakers.
 
It was the first grand slam by a GVSU hitter since Brugnoni smacked one in the NCAA Midwest Regional matchup with Wayne State on May 16, 2014. The granny brought Zak's RBI total to six, making him the first Laker to tally a six-RBI game since Brugnoni did the same at Walsh on April 12, 2014.
 
The two wins lift GVSU's overall record to 10-5. This is the Lakers' third consecutive 2-0 start in GLIAC play.
 
GVSU will close out its four-game series at Ohio Dominican with another doubleheader on Sunday (March 22) afternoon. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. EDT.

Notes:
-Aaron Jensen's complete game was his first since he went the distance on April 18, 2014 at Lake Erie
-Jamie Potts and Josh Griffith extended their on-base streaks to 32 and 14 games, respectively
-Kevin Zak is the first Laker since Jamie Potts and Giancarlo Brugnoni (April 17, 2014) to tally a multi-home run game; it was the first multi-home run game of his career
-With his four runs on Saturday, Zak tied Tony Pfennig ('03) for the fourth-most in school history (163), while Mike Nadratowski crossed three times to pass Casey Robrahn ('09) and Cory Maguire ('10) to move into seventh all-time
-Zak's 12 total bases pushed him past Scott Allen ('05) and Cody Grice ('11) and into a tie Casey Robrahn for the fourth-most total bases in school history (351)
-After seven RBIs in two games, Zak now boasts the fifth-most RBIs in program history (155)
-Zak's seven assists across two games vaulted him into a tie with Tony Pfennig for the school's all-time assist record (471)
-Potts recorded three hits in the doubleheader, giving him 189 in his career, which is the 10th-most in school history
-Jason Ribecky has an RBI in each of his last four appearances, totaling seven in those games
-John McLaughlin extended his five-game hitting streak, the team's longest active streak, with a bunt single in the fifth inning of game two
-Connor Glick went 2-for-4 in game one of the doubleheader to collect the second multi-hit game of his collegiate career
-The Lakers have tallied at least 10 hits in eight games this season