March 4, 2003

Box Score

Pittsburg, Kan. - The wind was blowing out at Al Ortolani Field and both GVSU and Pittsburg State took advantage of it, but the Lakers came out on top of the offensive battle 25-22. Grand Valley knocked out 24 hits including four home runs, and six doubles. The Lakers scored five or more runs and batted around in four different innings as they earned their fifth straight victory to improve to 5-1.

11 different players earned a base hit but senior SS Tony Pfennig led the way with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI and four runs scored. Matt Wright also posted four hits and four RBI, while Scott Allen reached base five times and posted four RBI.

Kevin Boyd started the scoring for GVSU in the first with a double that scored Mike McCallister and Joe Brunink. After a walk to Nick Bultema, Allen crushed a three-run homer to give GVSU a 5-0 lead.

The lead was short lived however as the Gorillas answered back with nine runs in their half of the inning. Pittsburg State put together seven hits around four free passes by GVSU pitching to take back the advantage.

The Lakers posted five more in the second. McCallister again led off the inning with a single and scored on a double by Pfennig, who ended up scoring on a double by Brunink. Matt Wright posted a two-out double to plate the final two runs of the inning.

After Matt Bussa held the Gorillas scoreless in the second, Pfennig hit his first home run of the year to boost the Laker lead to 11-9. Pitt State regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third on a bases loaded shot down the line that cleared the bases.

GVSU posted five runs for the third time of the game in the fourth. Mertes started the scoring with a two-run home run and Pfennig added a two-run double. Pfennig ended up scoring on a single by Boyd to make the lead 16-12.

The scoring continued in the bottom of the inning as Pittsburg State scored two on their first home run of the game. The Gorillas then held GVSU scoreless for the first time in the fifth, and added a single run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to one.

Grand Valley was not through scoring as they put up six more runs in the sixth. Pfennig led off the scoring with his second homer of the game. After two free passes and a pinch-hit single by Elijah Beckwith, Wright clubbed his fourth hit of the day to score two. Slein finished off the inning with a double to add another pair and make the score 22-16.

The Lakers added some insurance in the top of the seventh with three more runs. Scott Allen drew a bases loaded walk after three consecutive singles and Nick Sandy singled in the final two in his first at-bat of the game.

Pittsburg State wasn't through plating six more runs in the bottom of the inning before Doug Fox retired the side and end the game at 25-22.

Bussa (1-0) earned the win on the mound after throwing 3.2 innings, and striking out three.

The two teams will face off again on Wednesday at 2:00 pm in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Lakers Win Game One 8-7 Over South Dakota State