ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Grand Valley State baseball team defeated Concordia in both games of a doubleheader on Friday by scores of 7-6 and 2-0. The Lakers, winners of six straight, improve to 19-13 overall, while the Cardinals drop to 37-19 on the year. The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 1:00 PM for another doubleheader.
 
Game 1: W, 7-6 (10 innings)
 
Concordia started the scoring in the second inning before the Lakers answered back with two runs in the bottom half. Ryan Blake-Jones doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a passed ball, then Anthony Cocco drove in Cade Stanton to give GVSU a 2-1 lead. The Cardinals got one back in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2, but Blake-Jones launched his fourth home run of the season to regain the lead at 3-2.
 
GVSU was looking to close the game out in the seventh, however, Concordia struck for three runs to take a 5-3 lead. The Lakers battled back in their final outs. With runners on second and third, Blake-Jones belted a double to the gap, scoring Faust and Murdie to send the game to extra innings. In the ninth, the Cardinals retook the lead, 6-5. GVSU answered back once again as Christian Faust hit an opposite field home run in the bottom half of the frame. The Lakers finally walked off the game in the 10^th inning when Carter Smith got into a rundown between first and second base, which allowed Kyle Nott to score from third without a throw.
 
Rutkowski pitched well enough to earn the win, but was given a no decision. The freshman tossed six innings, only allowing five hits, one earned run, and zero walks, while striking out four. Nick Shaw was credited with the win, throwing a perfect 10^th inning and striking out two.
 
Stanton and Blake-Jones led the Lakers with three hits each, while Faust, Murdie, and Nott had two hits apiece.
 
Game 2: W, 2-0
 
Austin Brown continued his dominance from last weekend as the freshman right hander threw six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, no runs, and two walks, while fanning five batters to earn the win. Sam Leck tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning to earn the save.
 
GVSU scored in the first inning on an RBI infield single by Nott after a double by Murdie and a single by Faust. Blake-Jones continued his hot streak and drove in Murdie in the third inning to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. GVSU threatened in the fourth and the sixth, but could not push any more runs across.
 
Murdie and Stanton recorded multi-hit games for the Lakers.