#7 Grand Valley State claimed a 6-4 victory over Saginaw Valley State in day two action at the GLIAC Tournament in Utica, Michigan at UWM Field. GVSU (43-8) advances to the Saturday (May 9) winner's bracket game at 11 am versus the winner of the Davenport-Parkside matchup.
Grand Valley State was able to push two runs across in the bottom of the first. SS
Evan Morrison and 2B
Ayden VanEnkevort led off with singles and 1B
Jovan Gill singled home Morrison with a single of his own to right field. 3B
Caleb Estrada then plated VanEnkevort with a groundout to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead.
Morrison and Gill singled in the bottom of the sixth and Estrada drew a walk to load the bases. Freshman catcher
Noah Brandt drew a bases loaded walk and LF
Ryan Stimac came through with a 2-out, 2-RBI single to center that scored Gill and Estrada. Morrison's run on the Brandt walk set the GLIAC single-season record for runs scored with 77.
SVSU scored three runs in the top of the seventh to pull within one (5-4), however, the Lakers used situational baseball to push the lead back to two. Morrison led off the bottom of the seventh with a bunt, moved to second on a sac bunt from VanEnkevort, third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on a Gill fielder's choice when he beat the throw home.
Owen Avery (9-1) picked up the win on the mound, yielding four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work.
Keagan Bobbitt pick up two out on the hill and senior
Ethan Houghtaling then went the final 1.2 innings to pick up his sixth save of the season. Houghtaling allowed one hit and struck out two.
Stimac was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Gill was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Morrison was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. VanEnkevort was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
