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May 31, 2011
Cary, N.C. - The top-ranked Laker baseball team was eliminated from the 2011 Division II College World Series on Tuesday (May 31) in an 8-6 loss to Southern Connecticut State. GVSU ends their season at 52-5, setting a school record for wins and winning percentage while making their fifth appearance in the College World Series.
Southern Connecticut State had a big opportunity in the top of the second to get the Lakers behind, loading the bases on three straight singles with only one out. Junior Kyle Schepel got the play he needed though, coaxing a grounder back to the mound that turned in to a 1-2-3 double play that got GVSU out of the inning.
The Lakers squandered their own opportunity in the bottom of the second, getting two walks to begin the inning and a sacrifice that moved the runners to second and third. However, two straight strikeouts ended the inning.
GVSU got a two-out rally in the bottom of the third to take the early lead. After junior Cody Grice reached on a line drive that got dropped by the third baseman, he moved to second on a deep foul ball out to right field by junior Steve Anderson. Freshman Giancarlo Brugnoni then singled back up the middle to score Grice and make it a 1-0 game. A single in to right field by senior Andrew Trepel put runners on the corners with two out and a triple down the right field line from senior Torre Aguirre made it 3-0 for the Lakers.
Southern Connecticut State responded in the top of the fourth with a lead-off double and a walk. A single down the right field line from Bryan Dorsey cut the lead to 3-1 and put runners at the corners with nobody out. A single deep in the hole at short then brought another run in, making it a 3-2 game. After a sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third with one out, Schepel got a fly ball out to left but a two-out single in to right field scored both runners to take a 4-3 lead.
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It was another two-out rally for the Lakers in the bottom of the fourth as an Anderson triple in the left field gap scored Phillips from second to tie the game at four.
Southern Connecticut took the lead back in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI single in to right field with one out as the runner went to second on the throw home, giving the Owls runners on second and third with one out and a 5-4 lead. A fly out to left field got the second out, but a single down the right field line from A.J. Rouleau made it a 7-4 lead.
The Lakers chipped in to the lead in the bottom of the sixth when a two-out two-RBI double from Brugnoni made it a 7-6 game.
Southern Connecticut State added an insurance run in the top of the ninth to make it 8-6 and the Lakers were unable to mount a come back in the last inning of their season, dropping the decision to end their year.
Freshman Bill Maple (7-1) took his first collegiate loss in relief, throwing 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs. Schepel, who started the game, lasted four innings, allowing eight hits and four runs.
Anderson led the way on offense, going 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI including a triple. Brugnoni went 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI while Aguirre had a two-RBI triple.
