Grand Valley State split a GLIAC baseball doubleheader Saturday with Purdue Northwest at the GVSU Baseball Field. The Lakers won game one 9-3, but dropped game two 12-11 in 10 innings. GVSU and PNW will complete the weekend four-game series Sunday with a single, nine-inning game beginning at 12 noon.
Game 1 - Purdue Northwest scored in the top of the first, but the Lakers answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame. LF
Ryan Dykstra and CF
Kyle Nott reached base and Dykstra scored on a fielder's choice by SS
Connor Schuman. Nott scored on a sac fly by
Nathan Logan. 2B
Ayden VanEnkevort tallied an RBI single that scored
MacArthur Graybill who opened the bottom of the second with a single. GVSU added two more runs in the bottom of the third when Schuman scored on another sac fly by Logan and C
Brendan Guciardo doubled with two outs, followed by a McCormack RBI double. Logan pushed the lead to 6-2 with a lead off solo HR in the bottom of the fifth, followed by three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Dykstra was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Nott followed with an RBI double. Nott scored on a wild pitch and Guciardo doubled home Logan who walked with one out.
Senior
Sam Leck (2-1) picked up the win, yielding two runs, one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts. Senior
Allan Thorington picked up a three-inning save, giving up one run on two hits with seven strikeouts in three innings. Thorington struck out the side twice.
Catcher
Brendan Guciardo was 4-4 with three doubles an RBI and a run scored. Guciardo's three doubles rank second all-time in a game. Logan was 1-1 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Dykstra was 2-3 with two runs scored. Nott was 1-4 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI. McCormack drove in a run with his double, VanEnkevort collected one hit and an RBI.
Game 2 - Grand Valley State started fast when
Kyle Nott walked, stole second advanced to third on an error and then scored on a wild pitch. GVSU added two more runs in the bottom of the third when VanEnkevort singled to open the inning and Dykstra followed with a walk. Nott moved them over with a sac bunt and Logan plated both with an RBI single.
Purdue Northwest scored six unearned runs in the top of the fourth and added two more in the top of the fifth to take an 8-3 lead. Dykstra walked to open the bottom of the fifth and Nott singled. Nott stole second and Logan scored Dykstra with a groundout. The Lakers scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth when Guciardo doubled, McCormack was hit by a pitch and Graybill doubled to score Guciardo. VanEnkevort scored McCormack with a groundout.
PNW scored two in the seventh and one in the eighth to take an 11-6 lead, but GVSU answered with two in the bottom of the eighth. McCormack and VanEnkevort singled and Dykstra plated McCormack with a sac fly. Nott singled and Schuman doubled home VanEnkevort to pull the Lakers within three (11-8).
GVSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with two walks and a hit by pitch and Dykstra provided an RBI single to right that plated all three runs on a fielding error by the right fielder.
Purdue Northwest scored a single run in the top of the 10th on two hits and the Lakers loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th with no out, but were unable to push a run across.
Dykstra was 1-2 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Nott was 2-4 with a run scored. Logan drove in a pair of runs and was 1-5, while Schuman, Graybill and VanEnkevort each tallied an RBI. VanEnkevort also scored two runs and collected two hits.
Three Laker pitchers combined to strike out 14 batters and allowed just five earned runs.
