ALLENDALE, Mich. – Lewis University's baseball team dropped both ends of its midweek non-conference doubleheader at Grand Valley State at the GVSU Baseball Field on Tuesday afternoon. Lewis dropped the opener to the Lakers 6-5 on a walk-off single in the eighth and dropped the nightcap 10-6. The Flyers are now 9-13-1 on the season, while Grand Valley improves to 17-7 overall.
Game 1 – Grand Valley 6, Lewis 5
The Flyers struck first scoring two runs in the third.
Patrick Keaty (South Elgin, Ill./South Elgin) led off with a double to left field and then scored on
Thomas Fox's (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Christian) two-run homer to left. In the fourth,
Michael Alt (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) led off with an infield single to second base and scored when
Ian Nguyen (Anoka, Minn./Coons Rapids) reached on a throwing error by the pitcher to make the score 3-0.
The Lakers rallied for one in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homerun by Brendan Guciardo. Grand Valley State exploded for four more runs in the bottom of the sixth highlighted by a sacrifice fly by Spencer Nelson and a two-run triple from Kyle Nott to take the lead 5-3.
Lewis battled back in the top of the seventh scoring twice to send the game into extra innings.
Kevin Barry (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield scoring
Joe Preusser (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice), who reached on a fielder's choice, from third.
Davey Fitzpatrick (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) doubled to the left center gap scoring pinch runner
Gavin Kriegel (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) to tie the game 5-5.
After a leadoff walk and a one out single, Nott hit a walk-off single to left field scoring Connor Schuman from second to give Grand Valley State the 6-5 win.
The Lakers outhit the Flyers 10-8 as Lewis was led by Fox with two hits while Barry, Fitzpatrick, Alt, Keaty,
Jason Krol (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence), and
David Ascencio (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) had one hit apiece.
Matt Helwig (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) (1-1) suffered the loss for the Flyers out of the bullpen giving up three hits, two runs, one earned, and one walk while striking out one in 2.1 innings of work. Grand Valley's Nick Shaw (1-1) pitched 2.0 innings to pick up the win giving up only two hits in the contest.
Game 2 – Grand Valley 10, Lewis 6
Lewis jumped out to an early lead in game two scoring three runs on two hits and two errors in the top of the first. After a leadoff walk by Fox and a single by Preusser, Kriegel reached via a fielding error by the third baseman scoring Fox and Preusser.
Jason Krol (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence) drove in Kriegel with the third run of the inning with a single to right
The Lakers got one back in the second after a leadoff single and a hit by pitch put runners on first and second. Carter Rohman reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an error by the shortstop allowing Carter Smith to score on the play.
Lewis added to its lead in the third scoring two runs on four hits. The inning was highlighted by a sacrifice fly by
Michael Alt (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) scoring
David Ascencio (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central) who led off with a double and a single by
Dalton Crowder (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) scoring Kriegel who reached via a single through the left side.
The Lakers answered back with four of their own in the third to tie the game scoring two on Schuman's bases loaded single through the right side, Guciardo's RBI ground out to the shortstop, and Rohamn's RBI single to center to tie the game 5-5.
The Flyers retook the lead in the fourth on Alt's fielder's choice scoring Ascencio who got things started with a walk.
The Lakers broke things open in the sixth scoring five runs on five hits. Justin Mansager singled to center field to tie the game 6-6 followed by back-to-back RBI singles to give GVSU an 8-6 lead. The Lakers final two runs of the day came off an error by the Flyers catcher and an RBI single by Guciardo through the left side to make the score 10-6.
Lewis loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and had the tying run at the plate but Fox was called out on strikes and Preusser grounded out to first to end the contest.
Henry Schuler (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) (0-1) suffered the loss giving up two hits, two runs, and one walk with one a strikeout in 1.2 innings pitched. Collin Bradley (5-1) notched the win giving up only two hits while striking out two in 2.0 innings pitched for the Lakers. Nick Shaw earned his fourth save getting the final two outs and striking out one.
Kriegel, Krol, and Crowder led Lewis with two hits apiece in the contest while Fox, Preusser, Ascencio, and Barry had one each. Alt drove in two runs while Krol and Crowder had an RBI apiece.
The Flyers return home to continue GLVC play as they begin a series against Quincy on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Brennan Field.
