AUBURNDALE, Fla – The Grand Valley State baseball team defeated Winona State, 6-5, on Monday morning to complete the spring trip with a 9-3 record. The Lakers currently own an 11-4 record and will travel to Erie, Pa. next weekend to face Mercyhurst and Davenport.
 
GVSU fell behind 2-0 early, but answered with a two-run second inning on a Nathan Logan two-run single through the right side. The Lakers would take the lead in the third inning as Ryan Blake-Jones blasted a ball over the left field wall, scoring Jordan Chanlder to put GVSU up 4-2. Senior Jonathan Catapano launched his first homerun of the season in fourth inning to extend the Laker lead to 5-2 before Winona State would get a run back in the seventh on an RBI double. The Lakers led 6-3 entering the ninth but a Warriors two-run homerun cut the lead to 6-5, however senior Luke Hargis entered the game and preserved the Lakers victory.
 
Sophomore Rylan Peets (2-0) earned the win, throwing eight innings, while allowing nine hits, five runs (four earned), and striking out eight batters. Hargis gave up a two-out hit, but got a ground-out to second base to retire the Warriors.
 
Catapano had a team-high three hits, Blake-Jones added two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored, and junior Cacey O'Brien recorded two hits and a run scored.