Winter Haven, Fla. -- Bouncing back from a pair of excruciating losses is challenging, but the Grand Valley State baseball team made it look easy on Friday (March 6). The No. 16 Lakers racked up 13 hits, their second-highest total of the season, and gave up just three runs after the first inning in a 12-6 handling of Lewis at Chain of Lakes Field No. 1.
 
Three of those hits came from redshirt senior shortstop Kevin Zak. The Novi, Michigan native drove in runs on two of his three knocks, all of which came in different forms. Zak doubled in a run in the first, eventually coming around and scoring one of his three runs, singled through the left side in the fifth and drove in another run on a bunt single down the third base line in GVSU's five-run seventh inning. He finished 3-for-4 with a walk.
 
Zak's run and hit totals matched his previous season highs from the team's opener versus Gannon.
 
Another trio of Lakers—Josh Griffith, Aaron Overbeck and Jamie Potts—recorded multi-hit games as well.
 
Griffith went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the first, an RBI sacrifice fly in the seventh and an RBI single in the eighth. Overbeck, who entered the day with four RBIs all year, notched a double, single and three RBIs—one short of his career high—in four at bats. Potts extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a pair of singles in a 2-for-5 outing.
 
The only Laker besides Potts with a hit in each of GVSU's six games, senior outfielder Mike Nadratowski, stayed hot too. The 2012 ABCA All-Midwest Region First Teamer went 1-for-4, walked once and scored three runs.
 
GVSU's pitching kept the Flyers in check for nearly the entire afternoon.
 
After relieving starter Russell Griffin with one out in the first inning, senior reliever Kevin Hallberg tossed a solid 6.2 innings. The Lansing, Illinois product gave up just four hits and two walks, holding Lewis scoreless and striking out five batters—the most by any Laker pitcher in a game this season—to earn the win.
 
Freshman reliever Mitch Ashcraft limited the Flyers to three runs and four hits in two innings of work, finishing the win off for GVSU.
 
Following Zak and Griffith's RBI doubles in the opening frame, seven straight Laker batters were set down.
 
The bats came alive in the fourth inning, netting three runs on three hits and a Flyer error. Overbeck's single plated two runs and junior outfielder Jason Ribecky roped a double—one of four by the Lakers on Friday—to bring a third across.
 
GVSU broke things open in the seventh inning, scoring five runs on four hits and a pair of errors. A throwing error on a Nadratowski steal attempt pushed the first run across. Zak's bunt single scored the second; a hard-hit ball to third by Potts resulted in an error and plated the third; Griffith's sacfrifce fly and Overbeck's RBI double capped the scoring.
 
The lead expanded to nine runs (12-3) in the bottom of the eighth, as Potts and Griffith each ripped RBI singles.
 
GVSU's third 10-run game of the season lifts its overall record to 4-2. The Lakers also improved to 3-0 against Midwest Region opponents on its trip to the Sunshine State.
 
The club continues its weeklong stint in Florida with a doubleheader against regional foe Drury on Saturday (March 7) evening. The two will play a 7-inning and 9-inning game at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg, Florida. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.

Notes:
-In GVSU's last 10 games at Chain of Lakes Field No. 1, it has scored 100 runs (10 per game) and posted an 8-2 record
-Laker batters went 4-for-6 with runners on third base
-Of the five sacrifice flies GVSU has tallied this season, Josh Griffith owns three of them
-Jamie Potts has reached base in 23 consecutive games, matching the longest streak of his career
-Kevin Hallberg's 6.2 innings pitched were a career high
-Jason Ribecky made his second start of the season, and first as a left fielder, in the victory