Allendale, Mich. – Hits from the top of the order have a way of creating a trickle-down effect, which is exactly what happened for the Grand Valley State baseball team in Sunday's (March 29) 11-1 rout of Saginaw Valley State. The No. 18 Lakers got seven of their 12 hits—the club's highest total in a 7-inning game this season—from the top three hitters in the order, while all but three starters finished with a hit.
 
Game two of the doubleheader was postponed until Tuesday at 3 p.m. EDT.
 
A day after a scoreless gem by a GVSU starting pitcher, junior Zach Anderson tossed a three-hitter in 6.1 innings of work. The Greenwood, Indiana native only gave up one run—which came across in the fifth inning—and struck out four to collect the win and improve to 2-0.
 
Atop the Laker lineup, senior outfielder Mike Nadratowski finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs, matching his career high for a seventh time. Both of Nadartowski's hits were doubles, bringing his team-best season total to nine.
 
Senior second baseman Jesse Abel went 3-for-3 with a walk in the two-hole, driving in three runs and scoring once to pad his stat line. Right behind him, redshirt senior shortstop Kevin Zak posted a 2-for-4 day. The three-time reigning GLIAC North Player of the Week scored a run in the first inning as well.
 
The only other multi-hit performance came from junior left fielder Jason Ribecky, who hit fifth. He recorded a 2-for-3 outing, one that included a double, an RBI, one run and a walk. Freshman catcher Connor Glick, junior first baseman Josh Griffith and senior third baseman Mitchell Kozlowski all started and tallied hits, too.
 
Just like the second game of yesterday's doubleheader, the Lakers got on the board in the first inning, allowing Anderson to settle in on the mound.
 
With Nadratowski on base via fielding error and Abel aboard via walk, Zak came to the dish and attempted to bunt both runners over. His perfect bunt down the third base line turned into an infield hit, and led to a throwing error by the Cardinal pitcher. Nadratowski came around on the error. Senior outfielder Jamie Potts followed that sequence with an RBI-groundout. Ribecky's single through the left side drove in the final run of the frame.
 
The Lakers added to their lead in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
 
Nadratowski led off the third with a double to the gap in left center, eventually swiping third base just two pitches into the next at bat. Two pitches later, a soft liner by Abel snuck through the left side to plate Nadratowski.
 
A two-out rally in the fourth gave GVSU a 7-0 edge. Glick and Kozlowski kept the inning alive with a hit by pitch and walk, respectively. Those freebies set Nadratowski up for a two-RBI double. Abel followed it by lacing a double down the left field line, bringing another run across.
 
Singles by Abel and Griffith, along with a double by Kozlowski, produced four runs in the seventh to cap the scoring.
 
The victory elevates GVSU's overall record to 12-8, and lifts its GLIAC record to 4-3. The Lakers have won two of their three games against Saginaw Valley State, with the fourth matchup still to come on Tuesday.

Notes:
-Jamie Potts saw a career-long on-base streak of 36 games come to a close
-Jesse Abel's three hits matched his career high, a mark he has reached in five different games during his time as a Laker
-MItchell Kozlowski finished with a career-high two runs for the third time in his career
-Jason Ribecky's multi-hit outing was his fifth in his last eight appearances
-GVSU has tallied 10 or more hits in 10 of its 20 games this season
-The Lakers are now 6-1 this year when scoring 10 or more runs in a game
-GVSU's 11 runs matched its season-best total in a 7-inning game; it also scored 11 runs in a 7-inning game at Ohio Dominican last week (March 21)