WESTFIELD, Ind.—Facing a second enemy in the elements, the Grand Valley State baseball team defeated the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers 5-1 in the opening game of a three-game series between the two squads on Saturday. With temperatures hanging around 40 degrees, strong wind gusts and a light sprinkling rainfall during warm-ups, "good baseball weather" was far out of the question at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. 
 
Second baseman Anthony Villar had three hits, one run batted in and two runs scored for the Lakers, who improve to 10-5 on the season. Third baseman Austin LaDoux notched a pair of hits and drove in one run, while shortstop Johnny Nate added a hit and an RBI of his own.
 
On the mound, Lakers starter Jake Mason pitched seven strong innings of one-run ball, allowing a score in the top of the third but remaining steadfast after that. He allowed five hits, struck out three batters and walked none. Tate Brawley pitched two innings in relief for GVSU, walking one and allowing two hits but working out of trouble well to close out the game.
 
After a scoreless first inning between the teams and no score for the Rangers in the top of the second frame, GVSU struck with the first run of the game in the bottom, as Villar singled to get aboard with two outs, and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by Rangers starter Mario Samuel (1-2). Nate's single up the middle then plated Villar for the first strike of the game.
 
Wisconsin-Parkside scored the equalizer in the top of the third inning via a sac fly, after a Ranger runner advanced on a balk by Mason. After the Lakers were sat down in the bottom of the inning, neither team would score until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Lakers score four decisive runs to take the 5-1 lead. After DH Brody Andrews hit a leadoff double, Connor Glick reached first and then took second on a  throwing error, which scored Andrews. With one out, Ryan Blake-Jones then singled to center field, which advanced Glick to third.
 
The next batter, Villar, then singled up the middle to score Glick and moved Blake-Jones to second base. Finally, LaDoux hit a double to right field to drive in Blake-Jones, who beat out a high throw to the plate by Samuels that flew to the backstop and bouncing away, allowing Villar to come across for a fourth run and fifth of the game. With the lead now firmly in hand, Brawley came on in relief of Mason and kept the Rangers off the board in the final two innings to put the finishing touch on the victory.
 
The teams will meet again tomorrow in a doubleheader, both seven-inning affairs. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m., with the second game following shortly after the conclusion of the first.