Allendale, Mich. – Another GLIAC doubleheader ended in a split for the Grand Valley State baseball team on Wednesday (April 8). The No. 17 Lakers and Northwood, the first-place club in the GLIAC North Division, traded 5-0 victories, maintaining their respective spots in the league standings.
 
Northwood took game one with relative ease, limiting GVSU to four hits and five total baserunners. The Timberwolves plated a run in the first and posted two-spots in the fourth and fifth innings.
 
Although he gave up just three runs, only two of which were earned, redshirt junior starting pitcher Tim Tarter took the loss. Relievers Jordan Drake and Mitch Ashcraft combined for the final four innings of work, yielding a pair of unearned runs on one hit and five walks.
 
Senior outfielder Jamie Potts was one of three Lakers to record a hit in the first game. The Ravenna, Michigan native went 2-for-3 with two singles. Junior first baseman Josh Griffith and redshirt senior shortstop Kevin Zak were both 1-for-3 at the dish.
 
Things turned around rather quickly for GVSU in game two.
 
In the first inning, a leadoff double by senior outfielder Mike Nadratowski, who moved to third on a wild pitch, culminated in a sacrifice fly for senior second baseman Jesse Abel.
 
Following a scoreless second, the Lakers added a run in the second, as well as two more in the fourth.
 
Senior third baseman Mitchell Kozlowski sparked the third-inning rally with a blooper down the right field line. Nadratowski moved him to second with a bunt, setting up Abel for his second RBI of the day, which he plated on a single.
 
The fourth started with a bang, as sophomore Matt Williams belted his first home run as a Laker, making it 3-0. Kozlowski would single again with two outs, and a Nadratowski walk gave Abel another RBI chance. The Bethalto, Illinois product cashed in, lining a single to left and tallying his third game with at least three RBIs this season.
 
GVSU tacked on its final run in the seventh, courtesy of a Northwood fielding error. Walks by Abel and junior outfielder Jason Ribecky, along with a single from Potts, his fifth of the doubleheader, loaded the bases to set up the run.
 
Despite allowing five hits and five walks, Griffith did not allow a run in 6.2 innings, earning his first win in his second start on the hill. Williams and senior reliever Kevin Hallberg teamed up for the closing 2.1 innings of work, with the former notching four strikeouts in the ninth inning.
 
Potts quietly went 3-for-4 in game two, making him a combined 5-for-7 on the day; Abel finished 2-for-2 with a walk; Kozlowski tallied the sixth multi-hit game of his career with a 2-for-4 outing.
 
The split brings GVSU's overall record to 16-11, and its GLIAC mark to 8-6. Since the conference standings are sorted by divisional record, the Lakers, 6-4 in the GLIAC North, are tied for second with Wayne State.
 
Next up, GVSU will welcome Lake Erie for a four-game set in Allendale, Michigan. First pitch on Saturday (April 11) is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT, while Sunday's (April 12) doubleheader will start at 12 p.m. EDT.

Notes:
-With his run in the seventh inning of game two, Kevin Zak tied Scott Allen ('05) for the third-most runs in school history (168)
-Mike Nadratowski totaled six at bats in the doubleheader, matching Cory Maguire ('10) for the fourth-most in program history (687)
-Nadratowski also collected the 83rd walk of his career, tying John Siuda ('82) and Scott Allen ('05) for the seventh-most by a Laker
-Jamie Potts' three-hit outing in game two was his third of the season
-Matt Williams' four strikeouts matched a career high
-GVSU matched its season high with three double plays turned
-GVSU smacked 10 hits in game two, marking the 12th time this year it has recorded double-digit hits in a game
-The Lakers are now 13-0 when scoring in the first inning, and 14-2 when scoring first
-GVSU now carries a 113-39 all-time record against Northwood