March 7, 2008

Box Score

Joplin, Mo. - #6 Grand Valley State used eight runs in the fourth inning and a seven runs in the fifth inning to cruise to a 17-5 victory over Missouri Southern State Thursday afternoon in Joplin, Missouir. GVSU, now 7-1 on the year, will play Wisconsin-Parkside Friday at Pittsburg State.

Missouri Southern State scored first with a single run in the bottom of the first on a single, sacrafice, hit batter and a wild pitch. The Lakers tied the game in the top of the third on back-to-back singles by RF Derek Hinke and LF Casey Robrahn. Hinke then stole home for the first GVSU run. Catcher Bobby Walmsley was then hit with the next pitch. MSSU took a 2-1 lead with another run in the bottom of the third, but GVSU exploded with eight runs in the top of the fourth on five hits and four Lion errors. SS Justin Beal started the inning with a walk, followed by singles from 3B Eric Kruse and DH Matt Nickels (RBI). CF Pat Radde had an RBI sac fly, LF Casey Robrahn singled and Bobby Walmsley, Cory Maguire and Beal drew three straight walks. Kruse drove in two more runs with his second single of the inning.

GVSU added seven more runs in the fifth on five hits. Radded started the inning with a single and finished the inning with a two RBI double. Beal and Kruse also has RBI singles in the inning. Senior RHP Nick Beach picked up his second win of the year, yielding three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. Beach struck out five and walked three. Cory Maguire struck out one in his only inning of work, while Beal yielded two runs on three hits in the ninth.

Hillyard and Kruse each collected three hits on the day, while Radde, Hinke, Robrahn and Beal each tallied a pair of hits. Radde and Kruse each drove in three runs, while Beal and Nickels tallied a pair of RBIs.