Grand Valley State claimed a 17-5 victory over Davenport Thursday afternoon at the GVSU Baseball Field in the first game of a four-game series. The two teams will resume the series with a doubleheader Saturday (May 4) at Grand Valley State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
 
The Lakers struck first in the bottom of the first when LF Ryan Dykstra singled with two outs and DH Jonas Gulbrandsen hit a no doubt, 2-run home run over the left field wall. GVSU added four more runs in the bottom of the second on six hits, all with two outs. 3B Jake Rydquist singled home SS Connor Schuman and CF Kyle Nott doubled home Rydquist and 2B Ayden VanEnkevort. Dykstra singled to right to plate Nott and give the Lakers a 6-0 lead. 
 
Davenport scored a single run in the top of the sixth, but the Lakers answered with three of their own. Rydquist singled and Nott walked, after a double steal Dykstra singled to right to score Rydquist. Nott scored on a wild pitch and C Brendan Guciardo doubled home Dykstra. 
 
The rout continued as GVSU scored five runs on two hits and a Panther error in the bottom of the seventh. Rydquist and VanEnkevort each drove in a run, followed by a Dykstra 3-run home run that scored Nott and Rydquist. SS Zach Warren singled in the bottom of the eighth and Anderson hit a 2-run home run to center. Dykstra added an RBI double that scored Justin Mansager. 
 
Senior RHP Nick Rutkowski picked up the win, improving to 6-4 on the year. Rutkowski yielded one run on nine hits with four strikeouts in 6.0 innings. The win was the 20^th of his career on the mound and he also became the GVSU all-time leader in career innings pitched 269.2. 
 
Dykstra was 5-6 with a 3-run HR, six RBI and three runs scored. Dykstra now has two 5-hit games this season. Rydquist was 3-5 with three runs scored and two RBI, while Anderson was 2-5 with a 2-run home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Nott was 2-4 with a double, two RBI, three runs and the 50^th stolen base of his career. Gulbrandsen was 2-4 with a 2-run home run, two RBI and a run scored.