April 30, 2005

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State split a GLIAC doubleheader with Wayne State, dropping the first game 7-5 and winning game two 6-1. Grant Payton picked up the win in game two striking out a season-high 13, while allowing one run on five hits. Nick Smith hit a two-run home run in the first inning of game two to give the Lakers the lead. Jeff Sinicki took the loss in game one giving up two earned runs in 5.1 innings. Nick Sandy was 2-3 with two runs. Grand Valley finishes the season series against Wayne State tomorrow (May 1) in a doubleheader beginning at noon ET.

Grand Valley was unable to overcome five costly errors in game one as Wayne State won 7-5.  The Warriors scored an unearned run in both the first and second inning as they grabbed a 2-0 lead after 1 1/2 innings.  Grand Valley was able to answer with a run of its own in the bottom half, when Nick Sandy doubled to right center and scored on a Clay Ackerman sacrifice fly to CF.  Wayne State added a run in the third and two in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.  The Lakers scored three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to one (5-4).  Nick Smith and Nick Sandy started the rally with back-to-back singles.  Smith was driven in on a Chad Rohacs double to left center, while Sandy scored on a Pat Radde sacrifice fly to center.  Ryan Lyster drove in the third run on a single to left center.  Scott Allen led off the fifth with a triple and Nick Smith followed with a single to third base to tie the game at five.  Wayne State broke the tie in the top of the sixth when they recorded three straight singles to take the lead 6-5.  The Warriors added a run in the seventh to win 7-5.

Grant Payton started slow but finished strong to pick up his sixth win of the season.  Payton allowed a run in the first inning when Adwin Springer singled to center to score Frank Jeney from second.  The Laker offense responded in the form of a two-run homer to deep right by Nick Smith.  Smith hammered an Eric Kirkpatrick pitch down the right field line with two outs in the bottom of the first to drive Scott Allen and himself in and take a 2-1 lead.  The one run lead would figure to be all that Payton would need on the day as he allowed just three hits and struck out 12 Warriors after the first inning.  Grand Valley added two more runs in the second on a Scott Allen single up the middle that scored Chad Rohacs and Pat Radde.  Ryan Lyster drove in Clay Ackerman on a sacrifice fly to RF in the fourth to lengthen the Laker lead to four (5-1).  Allen led off the fifth with a single through the left side and was later driven in by a Nick Sandy RBI single.  Payton finished the game with 13 K's and allowed just one run on five Warrior hits.

Grand Valley State finishes its season-series with Wayne State Sunday, May 1 with a doubleheader beginning at noon ET.