HARROGATE, TN – The Grand Valley State baseball team opened the 2020 season with a doubleheader split of Ohio Dominican on Saturday at Lincoln Memorial University. The Lakers dropped game one, 10-5, before regrouping in game two to defeat the Panthers 9-2. The two teams will play the rubber match of the series tomorrow (Feb. 23) at noon.
 
Game 1 (L, 10-5, 9 inn.)
 
The Lakers got on the board in the first inning as senior Nate Bonter singled to drive in junior Spencer Nelson. Ohio Dominican would respond in the bottom half of the third, taking advantage of a wild pitch and passed ball to score two runs and take a 2-1 lead. The Panthers added two more runs in the fourth on a two-run double to increase the lead to 4-1. GVSU trailed 5-2 entering the eighth inning before Christian Faust and Nelson each had RBI singles to trim the deficit to 5-4. However, ODU scored five runs in the bottom half of the eighth to put the game out of reach.
 
Redshirt junior Nick Shaw was tagged with the loss, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing four runs (one earned) and striking out two. Junior Ben Thomas and senior Keaghan Sutliff combined to throw the final 4.1 innings in relief.
 
Nelson and Bonter each had a team-high three hits.
 
Game 2 (W, 9-2 – 7 inn.)
 
GVSU bounced back in game two, scoring four runs in the first inning and three runs in the second inning to build an early 7-0 lead. Ryan Blake-Jones ripped a double to right center and senior Stephen Pim recorded a two-run single up the middle in the first inning before Chandler cleared the bases with a three-run double in the second. The Lakers added a pair of runs in the third inning.
 
Sophomore Rylan Peets earned the win, throwing four innings and allowing three hits, two runs, and struck out two, while junior Nathan Wargolet and freshman Austin Brown tossed three combined innings of scoreless ball.
 
Nelson, Chandler, and Pim each recorded two hits with Chandler knocking in a team-high four runs.