KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Grand Valley State Lakers fell to No. 13 West Chester Rams, 13-4, Sunday at Heritage Park. The Lakers fall to 8-7 on the year, going 6-3 on their spring break trip to Florida while the defending National Champion Rams improve to 7-2 on the 2018 season. Despite the ten-run loss, the Lakers out-hit West Chester, 13-11, for the game.
 
Ryan Blake-Jones went 5-for-5 with a pair of RBI to lead the Laker attack. Jacob Gleason also reached base four times with three hits and was hit by a pitch. Travis Keys was hit with the loss, allowing six runs – just one of which was earned – on one hit and three walks while striking out three. Mike Cipolla (W, 2-0) went six innings for the Rams, allowing three runs on ten hits to earn the win.
 
The Lakers got on the board in the home first with three straight hits from the heart of the order. With two outs and the bases empty, Jacob Gleason tucked a double inside the left field line then scored a pitch later when Ryan Blake-Jones slapped a single up the middle. Austin LaDoux followed up with a single through the right side, but one was all the Lakers would get in the first.
 
Three errors hurt the Lakers in the second inning as the Rams scored seven runs with just one hit in the inning. The Lakers had a prime opportunity to get some runs back in the third when they loaded the bases with one out. LaDoux smoked a line drive that was speared by the Rams short stop and turned into an inning-ending double play. The hole then ballooned with a four-run fourth inning by West Chester as the defending champs opened a 10-run lead. The Lakers would out-score the Rams 4-3 the rest of the way, but the damage was done.
 
The Lakers get a few days to rest after their nine-game, seven-day stint in Florida, returning to action on Friday (March 16) at Lewis in Romeoville, Illinois.