LANSING – The Grand Valley State baseball team advanced to the GLIAC Championship after defeating Purdue Northwest 9-2 Saturday (May 13) night at Jackson Field. The Lakers will face Wayne State tomorrow (May 14) at 11:00 AM where they will have to win two games to win the tournament.
The Lakers got on the board first in the opening inning going up 2-0.
Spencer Nelson and
Kyle Nott led off with back-to-back walks. Two batters later,
Nathan Logan doubled down the right field line to score both Nelson and Nott. GVSUadded to the lead in the second inning to go ahead 3-0.
Connor Schuman got things started with a single to right center and advanced to second on a balk. Two batters later,
Jake Rydquist singled to right field to score Schuman.
The Lakers would make it 4-0 in the fourth inning.
MacArthur Graybill walked folloed by a Rydquist double and Nelson hit by pitch to load the bases with one out.
Kyle Nott hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Graybill. Purdue Northwest got on board in the sixth inning with an RBI infield single. The Pride would make it 4-2 in the seventh off a single to left field.
The Lakers responded in the bottom half of the seventh with two runs go back up four.
Jake Rydquist led the inning getting hit by a pitch. Two batters later,
Kyle Nott blasted a two-run home run to right field to put the Lakers up 6-2. That was Nott's fifth home run of the season. GVSU would make it 9-2 in the eighth on a bases loaded hit by pitch by Rydquistfollowed by a Nelson walk. Nott drove in the ninth run to put the Lakers up seven.
Jake Rydquist batted 2-2 with a double, run scored and two RBIs.
Nathan Logan hit 2-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Kyle Nott launched a two-run home run, scored two runs, and drove in four RBIs.
Connor Schuman and
Brendan Guciardo each added a hit and RBI.
Ayden VanEnkevort got his first collegiate start on the mound and earned his first collegiate win (1-0) after tossing six innings allowing just one run off four hits with five strikeouts.
Will Goebel tossed three innings of relief allowing one run off three hits with two strikeouts.