#2 Seeded Grand Valley State claimed a 12-6 comeback win Thursday in NCAA DII Midwest Regional action at the GVSU Baseball Field. The Lakers improve to 42-12 overall and will face Northwood (37-19) in second-round action Friday at the GVSU Baseball Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Missouri S&T scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first, but the Lakers answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame. SS
Evan Morrison singled to lead off the game and DH Jonas Gulbrandson hit a two-out, two-run home run to left center to tie the game at 2-2. The Miners scored one in the second and three in the third on a two-out, three-run home run to take a 6-2 lead.
The Lakers were able to get a pair back in the bottom of the fourth when C
Brendan Guciardo walked to open the inning and CF
Caden Thelen singled to put runners at first and second. 3B
Caleb Estrada came through with a 2-RBI double to left to pull the Lakers within two (6-4). GVSU erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fifth on five hits. 1B
Jovan Gill singled to right and Gulbrandsen tied the game with a two-run shot to left center. Guciardo doubled to left and 2B
Ayden VanEnkevort singled to center. Guciardo scored on a failed pickoff attempt and Thelen walked. Estrada, one of the Lakers' hottest hitters in the last 25 games, hit a bomb to left center to up the Laker lead to 10-6.
GVSU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh on two hits. Morrison drove in a RF
Ryan Stimac with a single to center and Dykstra provided an sac fly to plate Estrada who walked previously in the inning.
Jayden Dentler, who picked up the win and improved to 12-0 on the year, yielded six runs in the first three innings, three of which were earned. However, he pitched five innings of one-hit baseball and faced the minimum number of batters. Senior
Colby Phipps put the Miners down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Gulbrandsen was 2-4 with two, two-run home runs, four RBIs and scored two runs. Estrada was 3-3 with five RBIs, a three-run home run and scored two runs, while Morrison was 2-5 with an RBI. Guciardo was 1-2 with three walks.
Notes...
Gulbrandsen's 15 home runs is tied for third in a single-season with all-time leader Giancarlo Brugnoni. In addition, he now has 28 career home runs and is third on the career list.
Denter is tied for first on the single-season wins list with 12.
