#7 Grand Valley State claimed an 18-6 victory over Davenport Saturday (May 9) morning in a winner's bracket game at the GLIAC Tournament, improving to 44-8 on the year. The Lakers advance to Sunday's Championship game set for 11 am at UWM Field in Utica, Michigan. GVSU pounded out 18 hits, including six home runs and three doubles, en route to scoring 18 runs. The win was also the 61
st for Grand Valley State all-time in GLIAC Tournament action.
Davenport got on the board first with a single run in the top of the first, but that would be the only lead of the day for the Panthers. The Lakers started hit and run parade early as SS
Evan Morrison and 2B
Ayden VanEnkevort singled to start the first frame, followed by a
Jovan Gill towering 3-run home run to centerfield off the scoreboard. 3B
Caleb Estrada went back-to-back home runs for the Lakers when his solo shot hit the party deck roof beyond the left field fence. CF
Jake Skaggs doubled to right center with one out and C
Nick Krstich singled home Skaggs. LF
Caden Thelen was hit by a pitch and then Morrison hit a 3-run home run to right to give the Lakers eight runs on seven hits in the bottom half of the first.
GVSU continued to roll in the second with a Gill single and an Estrada ground rule double to right center. RF
Josh Fleming scored Gill with a sacrifice fly to right and Estrada, who moved up on the sacrifice fly to third, scored on a wild pitch to give the Lakers a 10-1 lead after two inning of play. Skaggs hit a solo shot to left in the bottom of the fourth to increase the lead to 11-1.
Davenport scored two in the top of the fifth, but GVSU answered with three in the bottom half of the frame. VanEnkevort opened with a single to center, Gill and Estrada drew walks and Fleming drove in VanEnkevort and Gill with a single to right center. DH
Will Bowen hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate Estrada and up the Laker lead to 14-3.
Estrada hit another solo shot to left center in the bottom of the seventh, his second solo home run on the day and his team leading 17
th of the season. Fleming singled to center and Skaggs went yard for the second time, this one to left center. Bowen doubled to left and scored on a Krstich single to right.
Starting pitcher
Jackson Kees allowed three runs on five hits with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched to pick up his ninth win of the season (9-1).
Edward Konow went the final three innings, yielding three runs on three hits to pick up the three inning save.
Seven Lakers collected two or more hits and four drove in three or more runs. Skaggs was 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double, three RBI and three runs scored, while Estrada was 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and four runs scored. Gill was 2-for-3, three walks, three RBI and three runs scored. Fleming was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, Morrison was 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI and Krstich was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Bowen was 2-for-5 with an RBI. VanEnkevort was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
