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May 23, 2009
Cary, N.C. - #4 Grand Valley State (45-15-1) dropped a 3-0 decision to #3 Emporia (Kan.) State (47-13) Saturday evening at the NCAA DII World Series in Cary, N.C. GVSU will now play an elimination game monday at 1 p.m. versus Belmont Abbey College. Belmont Abbey lost a 7-2 decision to Mesa State in the first game Saturay.
Grand Valley State managed just four hits in the game, three off ESU starter and winner Colby Killian. Killian (8-0), who yielded just three hits in seven innings of work, was helped by a stellar Hornet defensive effort that produced three inning-ending double plays. Junior SS Brad Raj, junior 1B Cory Maguire, senior 3B Josh Hillyard and freshman DH Steve Anderson each produced one hit for GVSU. Hillyard hit a one-out double in the sixth, but was stranded at second base. Freshman LF Cody Grice walked three times.
Emporia State scored a single run in the fifth on a solo homerun off the bat of 2B Jacob White. White's homer was the first of the season for him. ESU added single runs in the seventh and ninth innings.
Senior LHP Andre Benjamin was tagged with the loss despite a solid pitching performance. Benjamin yielded two runs on five hits in six innigs or work. Freshman Cory Rademacher yielded one run in one inning of action, while sophomore Joe Jablonski pitched a scoreless ninth.
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"I thought it was a great college baseball game today and we came up just little short," said 11th-year head coach Steve Lyon. "Emporia State was outstanding in every facet of the game and made every play defensively. They also came up with some big hits from the bottom third of their order and when you get that you have a great chance to win."
Grand Valley State was shutout for the first time since the final game of the 2008 season. The Lakers' four hits were also a season-low, while the three double plays that GVSU hit into were a season-high.
"We just never were able to get that key hit and it seemed like we ended more than three innings with a double play ball, but you have to give Killian (Colby) credit because his fastball had a lot of movement and he kept us off balance," added Lyon.
