MIDLAND, Mich. - The No. 20 Grand Valley State baseball team opened up GLIAC play with a split doubleheader against Northwood Saturday (April 9) in Midland, Michigan. GVSU dropped game one 2-1 and won game two 4-1. The Lakers will conclude their four-game series against the Timberwolves with a doubleheader tomorrow starting at noon est. 
 
Game one - L, 2-1
 
Northwood jumped out to a 2-0 lead off back-to-back RBI doubles. GVSU would get their only run of the game in the fourth inning off a Christian Faust RBI double down the right field line that scored Kyle Nott. The Lakers would get runners in scoring positions in two of the final three innings, but fell just short of tying the game. 
 
Austin Brown got the start on the mound and was tagged with the loss (3-1) after throwing six innings allowing two runs off four hits, while striking out five batters. Faust went 1-4 with an RBI, while Nott batted 1-4 with a run scored. Nathan Logan, Carter Smith, and Connor Schuman each added a hit.
 
Game two - W, 4-1
 
The Lakers came out of the gates fast by scoring three runs in the first inning. Christian Faust recorded an RBI, scoring Spencer Nelson off a Timberwolve error. Next batter, Nathan Logan hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Kyle Nott. Later in the inning, Carter Smith made it 3-0 with an RBI single through the right side that scored Faust. In the third inning, Connor Schuman made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Faust. Northwood got their lone run of the game in the fifth inning off an RBI groundout. 
 
Nick Rutkowski got the start and was stellar, going eight innings allowing just one run, while striking out five. Nick Shaw picked up his fifth save of the season by recording the final three outs in the ninth. Nathan Logan led the Laker offense by batting 3-3 in the game with a double and an RBI. Christian Faust and Kyle Nott each scored and batted in a run, while Carter Smith drove in two runs. Brendan Guciardo and Carter Rohman each picked up a hit in the win.