ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Grand Valley State baseball team won the series opener against Ashland, 3-2, on Friday evening at the GVSU Baseball Field in a great pitcher's duel. The nine-inning game lasted just one hour and 55 minutes and neither team walked a batter. The Lakers improve to 14-13 overall and 10-7 in GLIAC play, while Ashland drops to 19-13 and 14-7 in league play.
 
Starting pitcher Nick Rutkowski was extremely efficient, tossing eight innings, allowing just two runs, zero walks, and striking out six, while earning his third win of the season. Jared Skubic entered in the ninth inning and recorded a perfect inning to get credit for the save, his third on the year.
 
The Lakers jumped on the Eagles early, after Parker Murdie reached on a fielder's choice and Faust laced a single to left, senior Ryan Blake-Jones belted a two-run double to give GVSU the 2-0 lead after one inning of play. Neither team would score the next four innings before Ashland strung together a couple hits and got a run back in the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Lakers answered right back in the bottom half as Faust rippled a double to right, advanced on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch. The Eagles manufactured a run in the seventh, but a double play ball in the eighth inning and a perfect ninth held Ashland off the board to give the Lakers the victory.
 
Faust led the Lakers with two hits and two runs scored, while Blake-Jones tallied a double and two RBI.
 
The two teams will meet again tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 PM.