Baseball Rallies In Ninth Inning Of Game Two To Cap Doubleheader Sweep Versus Grand Valley State

OVERVIEW – GRAND VALLEY

SCORES: Northwood Timberwolves 4, Grand Valley State Lakers 1/Northwood 6, Grand Valley 5

RECORDS: Northwood 28-11, 15-5 GLIAC/Grand Valley 23-17, 11-9 GLIAC

LOCATION: Gerace Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood sweeps a doubleheader against Grand Valley State Sunday afternoon (April 22), winning game one 4-1 before posting a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• For the third consecutive contest, Grand Valley broke through for the first run of the game. In the first, a lead-off single and stolen base moved the runner to second with one out. A walk put runners at first and third with two outs, and the Lakers capitalized on an error to take a 1-0 lead.
• It didn't take long for Northwood to answer in the bottom of the inning. Leading off, David Vinsky launched a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence just under the scoreboard for a solo home run to tie the game 1-1 after the first.
• In the following inning, the Timberwolves were able to take their first lead of the weekend. Leading off like Vinsky did in the first, Travis Janes provided an encore with a solo home run to left-center field to give Northwood a 2-1 lead. This would turn out to be the game-winning run.
• NU extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Nick Palmer singled to lead off the inning, Miles Hardy reached on an error, and Michael Karam got hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Brian Dombrowski brought one run home with a single to left, and Vinsky plated another with a sacrifice fly to make the edge 4-1 Northwood after four.
• This would be all Ian Dimitrie needed as he cruised to a complete game, allowing six hits (all singles) and an unearned run in seven innings.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 4/4/1, Grand Valley: 1/6/3
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 6, Grand Valley: 8
• Winning Pitcher – Ian Dimitrie (8-1): 7 IP, 6 H, R (0 ER), 5 K, 2 BB
• Losing Pitcher – Travis Keys (2-3): 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 K, 2 BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Vinsky: 1-3, HR (4), R, 2 RBIs, BB
• Janes: 1-3, HR (2), R, RBI
• Palmer: 1-3, R

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• Dimitrie moved into a tie for second on the all-time wins list at Northwood, now standing with 18 victories for his career. He trails only teammate Tyler Jandron (19) on the list.
• This was the eighth time that Dimitrie pitched six innings or more this season. This was his third seven-inning complete game.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Grand Valley again struck first in the series finale. After a lead-off single and stolen base that moved the runner to second, a looping single to left field plated him to give the Lakers an early 1-0 edge in the top of the second inning.
• Northwood provided an answer in the third. Kyle Ziegler and Dombrowski were hit by pitches to lead off the inning, and Vinsky plated Ziegler with a single to tie the game at 1.
• After Javier Martinez walked to load the bases later in the third, Keaton Sackett gave the Timberwolves a 2-1 lead going into the fourth with a sacrifice fly to center.
• The Lakers struck back with a rally of their own in the fifth. A lead-off single, error, and sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out. A sacrifice fly brought home the tying run and an RBI single scored the go-ahead run as Grand Valley took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth.
• GVSU added an insurance run in the eighth. Two singles put runners at first and third with one out, and a squeeze bunt down the first base line extended the Lakers' lead to 4-2 going into the bottom of the frame.
• Grand Valley added some more breathing room to their lead in the ninth by the way of small ball. After a single, walk, and wild pitch put runners on first and third with one out, another squeeze bunt down the line plated the fifth run of the day for the Lakers and extended the lead to three.
• Northwood provided a flair for dramatic in the ninth, plating four to earn a walk-off victory. After Hardy and Ziegler reached to lead off the inning, Dombrowski cracked an RBI single to right, cutting the lead down to 5-3. Vinsky followed with an RBI double to draw the Timberwolves closer at 5-4.
• With the bases loaded and one out, Sackett singled up the middle off the pitcher's glove to bring home the game-winning runs and give Northwood the win.     

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 6/9/2, Grand Valley: 5/11/1
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 7, Grand Valley: 11
• Winning Pitcher – Lennon Gwizdala (4-1): 1.2 IP, 2 H, R, K, 2 BB
• Losing Pitcher – Kyle Lawson (0-3): 0.1 IP, 2 H, R, K, BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Vinsky: 3-3, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB
• Ziegler: 2-3, 2 R
• Sackett: 1-4, 3 RBI

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• Keaton Sackett notched his second 3 RBI game of the season and now has 20 in 27 games this season, tied for seventh on the Timberwolves. 
• Today's sweep allowed Northwood to earn a split for the weekend series, as the Lakers won both games of the doubleheader yesterday.
• Despite only being a sophomore, Vinksy already ranks seven in school history in hits (173) and second in doubles (45).

UP NEXT

• Northwood will host Madonna on Tuesday (April 24) for a doubleheader against the Crusaders. Both will be seven-inning games. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.