Winter Haven, Fla. -- Although the Grand Valley State baseball team's hitting cooled off slightly, its starting pitching came up big once again, resulting in a second consecutive 5-4 victory over Ashland on Wednesday (March 4) afternoon. The No. 16 Lakers were limited to a season-low nine hits, but junior starter Zach Anderson made sure that was all they needed.

"Anderson's first outing was outstanding. He gave us a chance against a very good team. It was good for him to step in right away and set the tone," said head coach Jamie Detillion. "He threw strikes, competed, got outs, everything that we asked of him. And he gave us a chance to win."
 
Making his GVSU debut, Anderson gave up two runs (neither was earned) on three hits and one walk. The Greenwood, Indiana native was efficient as well, tossing 94 pitches in his seven innings of work.

"I felt pretty good," said Anderson. "I was throwing my pitches pretty well. There were a couple of them that slid up on me, but other than that I was hitting my spots and throwing pretty well for my first start. I threw (my changeup) quite a bit and was getting a good amount of groundballs and flyballs today."

The Laker bats, particularly those near the top of the lineup, took some time to get going. Through the first seven innings, GVSU's No. 5-No. 9 batters accounted for all four of its hits. But the top of the order came up big in the club's three-run eighth inning, going 2-for-3 with a walk en route to breaking up a 2-2 tie.
 
It did not look like it would be a struggle early on, though.
 
For the third time in as many games, the Lakers plated the game's first run. Senior third baseman Aaron Overbeck laced a one-out single to left center, and took second base as an Ashland outfielder bobbled the ball, bringing junior infielder Josh Griffith to the dish. The Fort Scott Community College transfer laced a 1-0 pitch into right center for a double and his third RBI of the season.
 
Following a groundout, redshirt sophomore Kevin Carroll, who started at first base for the first time in his collegiate career, singled through the left side to bring another run across. Carroll would pick up another single in the fifth—which ended a spell of seven straight Laker outs—to record his first-ever multi-hit game.
 
Anderson hit his only road bump of the day in the bottom of the third. Ashland tallied two hits, and benefited from an error, to score a pair of runs and knot the game at 2-2.
 
Just two of the Eagles' next 12 batters managed to reach base, only getting aboard via walk or hit by pitch.

"(Jesse) Abel's (sliding catch down the left field line in the seventh inning) was a big one. If that guy got on, I think I was coming out. He made a heck of a play to help me get out of that inning," said Anderson. "I figured we would get the bats rolling pretty soon."
 
The calming of Ashland's bats set up the Lakers' three spot in the eighth. Senior outfielder Mike Nadratowski—Wednesday's leadoff hitter—started the inning with a bunt single. Next, sophomore utility player Joel Schipper drew a pinch-hit walk to put two runners aboard.
 
An unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempt kept runners on first and second for senior outfielder Jamie Potts, whose six hits led all Lakers entering the game. And his only hit of the day was a big one. The Muskegon Oakridge High School product blasted an RBI-double off the right field wall, and a throwing error allowed Schipper to score easily as well.
 
Overbeck added to the string of hits with an infield single, bringing Potts home from third.

"That's baseball. Even our best guys are not going to get a hit every single time, or get on base every single time," said Detillion, referring to the No. 1-4 batters going hitless through seven innings. "Every single one of them is there for a reason. We believe in them, they've shown us something in the past and they're talented. I have nothing but faith in them. When the situation calls for it, they typically step up, and that's why they're there."
 
With the Lakers comfortably in front 5-2, redshirt freshman reliever Tyler Lozen made his collegiate debut to start the eighth. He sat down five of the first seven batters he faced before hitting a snag with two outs in the ninth.
 
A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases and forced Lozen out of the game, making way for senior Adam Poel to try for his first save as a Laker. A single up the middle scored two runs and magnified the pressure on Poel. However, freshman second baseman Josh Smith ended the drama three pitches later when he made a stellar catch and throw to first on a ball hit deep in the hole.
 
Carroll, Griffith and Overbeck all finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Potts tallied a run, double and an RBI in four at bats.

"It's definitely good to start on a positive note with the wins. The most important thing for us right now is to learn from (our mistakes). We've had a few close ones early, and it's good that we are hanging on," said Detillion. "When you're not playing your best and still winning, that's a huge positive.

"If we can continue to progress throughout the season, I really like where this team is heading."
 
GVSU will be back in action tomorrow against No. 13 Minnesota State. The two clubs will play a pair of seven-inning games, the first of which is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Notes:
-Jamie Potts, Mike Nadratowski, Aaron Overbeck and Josh Griffith have each recorded at least one hit in each of the first three games
-Potts' seven hits, 11 total bases and .500 batting average through three games are all team highs
-Griffith went 2-for-3 with runners on base in Wednesday's win over the Eagles
-Potts extended his active hitting and on-base streaks to seven and 20 games, respectively
-Kevin Zak saw a 10-game hitting streak come to an end
-Josh Smith made his first career start, getting the nod at second base
-This is GVSU's second 3-0 start in the last six seasons
-The Lakers now boast a 46-34-1 all-time record against Ashland, and have won six of the last seven meetings