CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- Grand Valley State University and Northwood University will play for the 2009 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Baseball Championship on Saturday (May 9) at the V.A. Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Grand Valley State will attempt to win its sixth-straight GLIAC Tournament Championship after downing Wayne State in the winners bracket final, 12-11.  Northwood advanced to the championship series through the losers bracket, first defeating No. 4 Ashland, 4-2, the downing Wayne State, 12-3.

GVSU 12, WSU 11 
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Release courtesy of Tim Nott and the GVSU Sports Information Department

Grand Valley State scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim a 12-11 comeback win over Wayne State in GLIAC Tournament action Friday afternoon in Chillicothe, Ohio. The Lakers (40-13-1) advance to Saturday's Championship game slated for 11 a.m. at VA Memorial Stadium. Grand Valley State has now won 16 straight GLIAC Tournament games.

Wayne State jumped on the Lakers early and often. The Warriors scored three in the top of the first, added two more in the third, a single run in the fifth and four in the sixth to take a 10-4 lead. WSU added another in the top of the seventh to build an 11-4 lead. GVSU scored a single run of its own in the bottom of the seventh to pull within seven (11-5)

SS Brad Raj opened the eighth inning with a shot up the middle that glanced off the pitchers mound to the WSU second baseman for the first out of the inning. From that point on it was all GVSU as the Lakers scored seven runs on seven hits. GLIAC Freshman of the Year Cody Grice singled to center and freshman catcher Jared Cowan hit a pinch-hit 2-run HR to straight away center. LF Scott Cain singled to center and pinch hitter Steve Anderson walked. 2B Kyle Gendron doubled to left to score Cain. 1B Cory Maguire hit a sacrafice fly to score Anderson and pull the Lakers within two (11-9). Gendron advanced to third on a single by CF Casey Robran to set up a drmatic three-run HR by DH Ben Knuth to give the Lakers a 12-11 lead. Knuth's HR cleared the scoreboard in left center and left Wayne State stunned. Relief pitcher David Bowman earned his fourth save in the last 10 days with a scoreless ninth.

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NU 4, AU 2
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Release courtesy of Tim Nott and the GVSU Sports Information Department

The Northwood University baseball team posted the first GLIAC Tournament victory in program history with a 4-2 win over #4 Ashland Friday afternoon (May 8).

NU is now 26-22 on the season after the loss. Ashland is now 41-13-1 on the year.

After a pair of scoreless innings to start the Ashland game, Northwood broke through in the third inning with a pair of runs. The Timberwolves opened the inning with three straight hits – a single, double and triple. Andy Bouchard (Alpena, Mich.) led the inning off with a double, which was immediately followed by a Zack Lecker (Saginaw, Mich./MLS) triple off the centerfield wall. Matt Czjakowski (Plymouth, Mich./Divine Child) then drove in Lecker with an RBI single.

Ashland cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth, but Northwood responded with a run in the fourth on a RBI single by Lecker to extend the lead to 3-1. . NU then made the lead 4-1 on a solo home run by Michael Goodwin (Midland, Mich.).

AU got within two at 4-2, but the story of the game proved to be Timberwolves starter Eric Kinley (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage). He tossed a complete game, allowing no earned runs on seven hits. Kinley struck out six, including GLIAC Player of the Year Jacob Petkac with two runners on to end the game.

Northwood faces Wayne State for the right to go to the final round Friday night.

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NU 12, WSU 3
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The Northwood University baseball team advanced to the finals of the GLIAC Tournament with a 12-3 victory over Wayne State Friday night (May 8).

With the victory, Northwood advances to the tournament finals against Grand Valley State Saturday (May 9) at 11 a.m. If Northwood wins that game, there will be another game played immediately following.

The Timberwolves now stand at 27-22 on the season. Wayne State's year comes to an end with a record of 25-27.

The Warriors scored an unearned run in the top of the first, but the Timberwolves responded with one of their finest offense performances of the season. NU plated two in the first, two in the second and four more in the third to lead 8-2 after three innings. The biggest hit of the game proved to be a Ryan Palmer (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel) grand slam in the third. It was the first grand slam of the season for the Timberwolves.

NU would plate three more runs in the fifth to put the game away. Both teams scored single runs in the seventh to round out the scoring.

The Timberwolves finished with 16 hits, five of which came from Matt Czajkowski (Plymouth, Mich./Divine Child). Michael Goodwin added three hits of his own.

Northwood received another outstanding pitching performance in the game from Matt Toporski (Essexville, Mich./Garber). He allowed no earned runs in seven innings of work, striking out five while allowing nine hits. On the day, the Timberwolves allowed zero earned runs in 18 innings of work during a pair of victories.