CRESTWOOD – Roosevelt's offense could not solve Grand Valley State's starting pitching in a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the 10th-ranked visitors Saturday at Ozinga Field in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action.
It was a fairly one-sided battle of the Lakers as GVSU took the first game of the day 6-0 then won the second game 11-1 in seven innings. Roosevelt (9-26, 0-11 GLIAC) had just seven hits combined between the two games and put just three runners at third base the entire doubleheader.
GRAND VALLEY STATE 6, ROOSEVELT 0
It was a tough day on the mound for Liam Neely despite limiting the number of big hits Grand Valley State had. The visitors had just five hits against Neely, and instead took advantage of four walks and four hit batters to score runs. The Lakers in blue scored four runs in the second inning on just one hit, plating two runs by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Neely did not receive much offensive support with Roosevelt not able to sustain much offense until the sixth inning. Tyler Ruete led off the second with a walk, but was replaced on the base paths by CJ Chalk on a fielder's choice. Maxwell Bowers and Kyle Jannenga also drew walks for the Lakers before Quinn O'Bryan broke up the no-hitter with a double to start the sixth.
O'Bryan did make it to third in the bottom of the sixth, but was left stranded there to end the threat. Roosevelt added two more hits in the seventh, infield singles for Chalk and Jack Hoh sandwiched around an Andrew Lucas walk. However, the Lakers did not cash in on the bases loaded.
GRAND VALLEY STATE 11, ROOSEVELT 1
Grand Valley State started with three runs in the top of the first inning to set the tone then continued to pound away at the Lakers' pitching staff. The visitors added four runs with two outs in the third inning and tacked on three more in the fourth to open up a massive lead. GVSU then put itself in run-rule territory with a run in the seventh inning.
The hosts had their moments to get back into the game, especially when Jannenga led off the second with a single. The catcher moved up to third base on Jack Hoh's liner back up the middle, and Lucas put Roosevelt on the board with a sacrifice fly. Alejandro Munoz added a third-inning single and Ian Bagaconza added a single in the fifth inning for the rest of the Lakers' offensive output.
UP NEXT: The two teams close out the series Sunday at Ozinga Field with first pitch scheduled for noon.
