Grand Valley State dropped a pair of GLIAC home games to Purdue Northwest Friday afternoon, losing 4-3 in eight innings in game one and 5-4 in game two. First pitch for Saturday's DH is 12 noon. Grand Valley State will honor the 2004 and 2009 NCAA DII World Series teams prior to game one.
Game 1
Purdue Northwest scored single runs in the third and fifth innings, but C
Joe Laudont drove in a pair for the Lakers in the bottom half of the fifth with a double. As the game moved to extra innings, the Pride plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the eighth to take a 4-2 lead. GVSU loaded the bases in the bottom half of the frame and pushed across one run on a bases loaded walk to
Jonathan Catapano. However, the Lakers were unable to add the equalizer.
Laudont was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while SS
Parker Murdie was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Three Laker pitchers (
Michael Morelli - 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 5 K, 5 BB;
Luke Hargis 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K;
Brendan Nearing 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 K) combined to yield four runs, one of which was earned, with nine strikeouts.
Game 2
GVSU' starter
Nick Shaw breezed through the first five innings, yielding just four hits with seven strikeouts, however, a 3-run HR put Purdue Northwest out in front 3-0 in the top of the sixth. GVSU pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth when Laudont walked, advanced to third on a Catapano double and scored on a wild pitch. The Pride added two in the top of the seventh on three hits, but the Lakers pulled to within one (5-4) in the bottom of the eighth when Laudont walked, Catapano singled and 2B
Anthony Cocco homered to right. The Lakers were able to get a runner to second base with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but could not push him across home plate.
Catapano was 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Cocco was 1-for-4 with three RBI. Shaw logged 6.0 innings, yielding three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.
Keaghan Sutliff struck out six of seven batters he faced in 2.0 innings of work.
