Top seeded Grand Valley State (47-8) moved into Saturday's NCAA DII Midwest Region 1 Championship game with its 23-9 victory over #5 Davenport at the GVSU Baseball Field Friday afternoon. The Lakers will await the winner of the 11 am tilt between Missouri S&T and Davenport game which will be played at 11 am Saturday. First pitch for the title game is 2 p.m. The 23 runs scored by GVSU was a Laker single-game record in post season play, eclipsing the mark of 18 set by Grand Valley State in the 2013 NCAA Regional contest versus Bellarmine. In addition, GVSU improved to 6-1 versus Davenport since April 25.
GVSU, which was the visiting team, scored an unearned run in the top of the first. SS
Evan Morrison reached on an error, stole second and went to third a sacrifice bunt by 2B
Ayden VanEnkevort. 1B
Jovan Gill singled to center and the Lakers led 1-0. GVSU scored six runs on three hits and two more Davenport errors in the top of the second as 10 came to the plate. Morrison, Gill, C
Noah Brandt, DH
Josh Fleming and LF
Will Bowen each drove in a run in the inning.
Davenport turned the offense on in the second inning, scoring six runs on six hits to pull within one (7-6). However, the Lakers kept rolling offensively, batting around again and scoring seven runs on four hits and four Davenport walks. VanEnkevort drove in a pair with a double to highlight the inning.
Junior pitcher
Zach Warren came on in the bottom of the third for starter
Owen Avery and shut down the Panther offense. Warren picked up the win on the mound, yielding just one run on three hits in 5.0 innings pitched.
GVSU added five runs in the fifth, four of which came on a Morrison grand slam to right. The Lakers scored two more runs in the seventh and two in the ninth.
Grand Valley State pounded out 18 hits and took advantage of 11 Davenport walks and five errors. Morrison was 4-for-6 on the day with five RBI, a grand slam, two doubles and a GVSU single-game record six runs scored. VanEnkevort was 3-for-6 with four RBI, two doubles and three runs scored, while Gill was also 3-for-6 with three RBI, a double and two runs scored. Fleming was 3-for-4 with three RBI, three runs scored and a double, Bowen was 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs and Brandt was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
Freshman
Michael Giroux tossed a scoreless eighth and
Lukas Brewer pitched the ninth.
