Allendale, Mich. – Much like Saturday's (April 11) doubleheader, the Grand Valley State baseball team had no issues offensively. The No. 17 Lakers amassed 24 hits and scored 15 runs, but a rocky inning in game one forced the Lakers to settle for a split against Lake Erie. GVSU fell 16-9 in the opener, though it bounced back to take the nightcap 6-4, taking three of the series' four games.
 
Things could not have started any better for the Lakers in game one. After starting pitcher Zach Anderson set down the Storm in order, senior outfielder Mike Nadratowski led off the bottom of the first with a towering home run to right field. However, the lead would not last very long.
 
Lake Erie tallied 10 hits and capitalized on four Laker errors en route to a 13-run second inning.
 
Despite the deep hole, GVSU battled back, cutting the deficit in half with six runs in the third.
 
The rally started with four consecutive singles from junior catcher John McLaughlin, senior third baseman Mitchell Kozlowski, senior outfielder Mike Nadratowski and senior second baseman Jesse Abel, who drove in two runners on his hit through the left side. Another single by redshirt senior shortstop Kevin Zak loaded the bases for senior outfielder Jamie Potts, whose sacrifice fly plated a run. With the bases juiced again, junior outfielder Jason Ribecky shot a single through the right side to bring two runs across. Junior first baseman Josh Griffith's team-best sixth sacrifice fly of the season produced the inning's final run.
 
Trailing 15-7 heading into the sixth, the Lakers responded again. Kozlowski walked and advanced to second on a ground out by Nadratowski. A pinch-hit double by freshman infielder Josh Smith brought a run across.
 
GVSU's ninth run came in the seventh, when senior catcher Patrick Bobolts collected his first RBI of the season on a single to center field.
 
Kozlowski finished game one 2-for-2 with two runs, while Zak went 2-for-3 with a run and a double, the 43^rd of his career, moving him past Cody Grice ('11) for the fourth-most in school history. Abel and Ribecky netted two RBIs apiece, recording their fifth and fourth multi-RBI games of the season, respectively.
 
The offense did not go anywhere in game two, and the Laker pitching staff ensured that six runs on 11 hits would be enough to earn a split.
 
Although it trailed 2-0 in the fifth inning, it took one swing of the bat for freshman catcher Connor Glick to knot the score. Smith kept the frame alive with a two-out double to left field, and Glick lifted a 2-1 pitch over the scoreboard in left center to tie it up.
 
A four-run sixth gave the Lakers all the separation they needed. Zak reached third on a throwing error to start the inning. From there, Potts slapped an RBI single, Griffith doubled down the left field line to plate a run, Smith drove in another on the third triple by a Laker this season, and Glick recorded his career-best third RBI on a single through the right side.
 
Lake Erie got runs in the seventh and ninth, but saw its last rally end with a fly out to center field.
 
Kozlowski led the way again in game two, posting a 2-for-3 line. The Madison Heights, Michigan native finished the series 10-for-13 with four runs and three RBIs.
 
In addition to his trio of RBIs, Glick went 2-for-3 with a run. Smith's pair of extra-base hits netted him a 2-for-4 outing; he scored two runs as well. Potts was the only other Laker with a multi-hit outing, ending the nightcap 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
 
On the pitching side of things, redshirt freshman Tyler Lozen made his first collegiate start, yielding two runs on two hits and four walks in 4.1 innings. Senior reliever Kevin Hallberg earned the win to get to 3-1 on the year. The Lansing, Illinois product gave up just one run on three hits and a walk. Sophomore closer Matt Williams collected his fifth save of the year, going two full innings to do it.
 
The split lifts GVSU's overall record to 19-12, and its GLIAC mark to 11-7. Taking three of four games from the Storm also gave the Lakers their second league series win.
 
GVSU returns to the diamond this Wednesday (April 15) at Northwood. The divisional doubleheader is slated to start at 2 p.m. EDT.

Notes:
-Kevin Zak's run in game two was the 171st of his career, moving him past Cody Grice ('11) for the second-most in school history
-Zak also started his 197th and 198th games, which moved him to third in the Laker record book
-Mitchell Kozlowski extended his active hitting streak to seven games
-With three hits in today's doubleheader, Mike Nadratowski passed Scott Allen ('05) and Cody Grice ('11) for the fourth-most hits in program history (169)
-GVSU's 13 hits in game one were its second-most in a 7-inning game this season
-The Lakers are now 17-7 all-time against Lake Erie
-Over the last 13 games, GVSU's bullpen has posted a 1.96 ERA in 36.2 innings of work