CLEARWATER, Fla.—The Grand Valley State baseball team fell short in it's pursuit of winning a third straight game on Sunday, as it lost 12-9 to Minnesota State Crookston at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Florida. The loss drops the Lakers to 6-6-1 on the season, ahead of Monday's game against Rockhurst, the final game of the Florida trip.
 
GVSU took an early 4-0 lead in the second inning, scoring off of four hits and a pair of Golden Eagle errors.
 
Crookston would strike back in the top of the 4^th, as they scored five runs to take a 5-4 lead in the game. An inning later, Crookston would add four more runs to open up a 9-4 lead after four and a half innings.
 
The Lakers would get a home run from Josh Griffith in the bottom of the fifth, and another solo shot in the bottom of the seventh from second baseman Josh Smith after the Golden Eagles scored a 10^th run in the top of the inning. Joel Schipper also had an RBI double in the inning, as the Lakers got the margin to 10-7.
 
In the top of the eighth, the Golden Eagles added a  pair of runs to make the score 12-7, which the Lakers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Neither team would score in the ninth inning, and the final tally would be 12-9.
 
Josh Griffith, Josh Smith and Tyler Ramoie each had two RBI's apiece, while Griffith and Johnny Nate each scored a pair of runs. Keith Browning and Matt Williams each had three hits in the game.
 
Four Lakers pitched on the day, with Sawyer Chambers (0-1) being tagged with the loss on the day, giving up seven runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Brendan Nearing, Tyler Lozen and Mitch Ashcraft each appeared on the mound for GVSU.