QUINCY, Ill.—A late home run appeared to be the decisive blow for the Grand Valley State baseball team's second round game against Ashland in the Midwest Region Tournament, but the Eagles surmounted the Lakers on a late home run to score a 4-3 victory at QU Stadium on Friday evening.
With the loss, Grand Valley State (36-17-1) will play at 3:00 PM (Central time) on Saturday against Missouri S & T (36-18) to determine their tournament fate.
As the visiting team, the Lakers had the first at bats of the game, and got to Ashland starter Jake Baldwin in quick fashion.
Alex Young led off with a walk, stole second, and was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Josh Smith.
Matt Williams then connected on a single into center field to easily score Young for a quick 1-0 lead.
With a quick 1-0 lead backing him, GVSU starter
Zach Anderson took the mound in the bottom of the inning and retired the Eagles in quick fashion in the first inning. However, after the Lakers went scoreless in the second, the Eagles got a man aboard with two outs. Ashland catcher Adam Vasil then hit a home run over the left field wall to put the Eagles back on top, 2-1.
The two teams then exchanged four scoreless innings, as Anderson and Baldwin engaged in a pitcher's duel.
In the top of the seventh, the Lakers once again got to Baldwin, and
Josh Griffith hit a one out single to put a man on for designated hitter
Jason Ribecky. Ribecky then smashed the first pitch he saw over the right field fence and onto the adjacent Quincy football field to give the Lakers a late 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Anderson allowed a single in between two quick outs, including a strikeout of Vasil. Pinch hitting for Ashland, freshman Nic Varda then took the first offering from Anderson over the shortest fence in the park, the right field wall, to put the Eagles back on top 4-3. The home run, which had a foot of clearance over the right field wall at 295 feet, was Varda's first round tripper of his career.
Now pitching with a lead, Baldwin sat the Lakers down in order in both the top of the eighth and ninth to secure the win for the Eagles.
Anderson (5-6) took the loss on the mound, surrendering four runs in eight innings of work while striking out seven.
Seven Lakers had a hit in the game, with Williams driving in one run and Ribecky driving in two.
