XENIA, Ohio—The 14th ranked Grand Valley State baseball team took advantage of a bevy of miscues by Wayne State on Saturday to win by a 9-8 score, and advance to face Walsh in a Saturday evening showdown in the GLIAC Tournament. If GVSU defeats Walsh in Saturday night's matchup, they will play in the GLIAC Tournament Championship on Sunday afternoon against a yet to be determined opponent.
 
GVSU (33-16-1) had 15 hits in the morning game and improved to a perfect 5-0 behind starter Mitch Ashcraft, who earned his third win of the season. Wayne State (28-24) ends its season and bows out of the GLIAC Tournament after suffering its second loss in as many days.
 
GVSU fell behind early, giving up its 46^th first-inning run of the season off of an RBI single by Warriors pitcher JT Conti. The Lakers would strike back in the bottom of the first, however, scoring a quick pair of runs off of Conti on the mound.
 
After Josh Smith reached on a fielder's choice, he advanced to second and then to third on a throwing error by Conti, which allowed Matt Williams to reach at first. Anthony Villar then singled home Smith with a single to center, tying the game at one run apiece. After a Josh Griffith single loaded the bases, a fielder's choice by Seth Johnson plated Williams for a 2-1 Laker lead.
 
Wayne State fought back in the second, plating three runs on four hits to take a 4-2 lead.
 
Villar would get one run back for the Lakers in the third, taking Conti deep over the right field wall for his third home run of the season, a solo shot to make it 4-3.
 
In the fourth inning, with GVSU trailing Wayne State by a 4-3 score, the Lakers got a leadoff single from catcher Brody Andrews, then took advantage of a lack of control by two different Warrior pitchers, as five different Lakers walked in the inning, three of which came with the bases loaded, to put the Lakers up by a 6-4 score after four innings. Wayne State would add a run in the top of the fifth inning, cutting the Laker lead to 6-5.
 
Grand Valley State struck again in the sixth, as Smith singled to left field to lead off the inning, and advanced to third after Matt Williams reached first on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Warriors. Villar then hit a single up the middle to score Smith and Williams for his third and fourth RBI of the day, putting the Lakers up 8-5.
 
After Ashcraft left the game in the top of the seventh, the Warriors scored a pair of runs off of a solo home run and an RBI groundout to pull with one, 8-7.
 
In response, the Lakers added a ninth and final run in the seventh, off of the bat of Villar, as he singled in Williams after a two out double to give the Lakers a two run cushion, 9-7.
 
Refusing to go down without a fight, the Warriors got a run in the eighth inning after a one out single was followed up by a double to left center.  That prompted a change at pitcher by the Lakers, and Williams came on to record the final two outs of the eighth.
 
After the Laker stranded a pair of runners in the bottom of the eighth and failed to score an insurance run, it was up to Williams to close out the game with no margin for error, and a slim one run lead. Williams allowed two hits, but struck out the final Warrior batter to earn his 18^th save of the season and give the Lakers the 9-8 victory.
 
Ashcraft earned the win on the mound, allowing five runs (four earned) in six innings, walking one and striking out two over 95 pitches. Troy Dykhuis pitched 1.1 innings in relief, while Williams pitched 1.2, striking out three.
 
Villar led the charge for the Lakers on offense, going 4 for 4 at the plate and tying a season high with six runs batted in. Williams scored three runs, and had a hit and a run driven in to boot. Johnson added two RBI's.