ALLENDALE – The Grand Valley State baseball team picked up a huge regional win against former GLIAC foe Northwood 19-11 Tuesday (April 11) afternoon at the GVSU Baseball Field. The Lakers earned their 20^thwin of the season improving to 20-9, while Northwood falls to 24-10. 
 
The Laker offense produced 21 hits and managed to score in all but one inning. GVSU got off to a fast start by going up 3-0 after the first inning. For the third time in the last week, Spencer Nelson led off the game with a home run. That was Nelson's fifth home run of the season. Kyle Nott singled and Nathan Logan doubled to right field to put runners on second and third with no outs. Brendan Guciardo scored Nott on and RBI groundout and Connor Schuman singled through the left side to score Logan.
 
Northwood quickly answered and cut the Laker lead to 3-2 in the top of the second. The Timberwolves got on the board off back-to-back leadoff doubles and an RBI groundout later in the inning. The Lakers regained their three-run lead in the third inning. Conner McCormack launched a two-run homer to right field to make it 5-2. The home run was McCormack's fourth of the season and third over the last two games. The Lakers made it 6-2 in the fourth inning off an RBI by Guciardo to bring home Nott.
 
In the fifth inning, Northwood would tie the game at six with a four-run inning. The Timberwolves hit back-to-back leadoff home runs to cut their deficit in half. After a pair of singles and hit by pitch to load the bases, Northwood added two more runs of two wild pitches that would tie the game. The Lakers would retake the lead in the bottom half of the fifth going up 7-6 when Nelson reached on a fielder's choice allowing Justin Mansager to score. Northwood quickly answered next half inning to tie the game at seven with an RBI single. 
 
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Lakers poured on five runs to take their largest lead of the game. Jonas Gulbrandsen led off the inning with a walk and Gucirado reached on base off a fielder's choice as Gulbrandsen would beat out the throw to second. Next batter, Schuman walked to load the bases with one out. McCormack put the Lakers ahead with a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Gulbrandsen to score. Justin Mansager reached on an RBI infield single that allowed pinch runner Carter Rohman to score. Ayden VanEnkevort kept the inning going with a two-RBI infield single to score Schuman and Mansager.  After a Nelson single to advance VanEnkevort to third, VanEnkevort stole home on the next at bat to put the Lakers up 12-7. 
 
The Lakers followed up their five-run inning with another five-run inning in the seventh to take a commanding 17-7 lead. Nott led the inning off with a walk and Logan smoked an RBI triple to right center next at bat to score Nott. Next batter, Jake Rydquist hit a sacrifice fly to right field allowing Logan to score. Two batters later, McCormack doubled to left center scoring Schuman. Next batter Mansager launched a two-run shot to right field for his first home run this season.
 
After Northwood scored one run in the eighth to make it 17-8 game, the Lakers responded with two runs making it 19-8. MacArthur Graybill notched an RBI single to left center scoring Logan. Jake Rydquist would add the run number 19 on a wild pitch.
 
Freshman Mike Morawski got the start for the Lakers and tossed two innings allowing two runs off four hits. Allan Thorington tossed two and a third innings in relief allowing four runs off six hits while striking out two. Nino Puckett pitched one inning of relief allowing one run off three hits. Will Goebel tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief and did not allow a hit. Goebel earned his first collegiate win improving to 1-0 on the season. Logan Wynalda and Sam Leck each tossed one inning of relief. 
 
Seven Lakers notched multiple hits in the win with three players having three hits. Conner McCormack batted 3-4 with a home run, double, a game high four runs batted in, and two runs scored. Justin Mansager went 3-4 at the plate with a home run, three runs batted in, and three runs scored. Nathan Logan went 3-6 on the day with a triple, double, three runs scored, and one run batted in. Ayden VanEnkevort hit 2-4 with a run scored and run batted in. Kyle Nott batted 2-5 with three runs scored, while Spencer Nelson hit 2-6 with a home run, two runs batted in and a run scored. Jonas Gulbrandsen, Brendan Guciardo, MacArthur Graybill, and Jake Rydquist each added a hit and run batted in. 
 
The Lakers return home as they continue GLIAC play hosting Wayne State in a four-game series beginning Friday (April 14) with first pitch beginning at 3:00 PM at the GVSU Baseball Field. Follow @gvsubaseball on Twitter for live in-game updates and visit gvsulakers.com for links to live stats and video.