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Bay City, Mich. -- Grand Valley State University closed out the 2009 season with a pair of losses at the NCAA D-II Baseball Championship in Cary, North Carolina. The Lakers, 2009 D-II Midwest Region Champions, finished the campaign with a 45-16-1 overall record.
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-- GLIAC Baseball Weekly Notes --
Grand Valley State - #4 Grand Valley State dropped a 3-0 decision to #3 Emporia (Kan.) State (47-13) Saturday evening at the NCAA DII World Series in Cary, N.C. GVSU will now play an elimination game Monday at 1 p.m. versus Belmont Abbey College. Belmont Abbey lost a 7-2 decision to Mesa State in the first game Saturday...Grand Valley State managed just four hits in the game, three off ESU starter and winner Colby Killian. Killian (8-0), who yielded just three hits in seven innings of work, was helped by a stellar Hornet defensive effort that produced three inning-ending double plays. Junior SS Brad Raj, junior 1B Cory Maguire, senior 3B Josh Hillyard and freshman DH Steve Anderson each produced one hit for GVSU. Hillyard hit a one-out double in the sixth, but was stranded at second base. Freshman LF Cody Grice walked three times...Emporia State scored a single run in the fifth on a solo homerun off the bat of 2B Jacob White. White's homer was the first of the season for him. ESU added single runs in the seventh and ninth innings...Senior LHP Andre Benjamin was tagged with the loss despite a solid pitching performance. Benjamin yielded two runs on five hits in six innigs or work. Freshman Cory Rademacher yielded one run in one inning of action, while sophomore Joe Jablonski pitched a scoreless ninth...Grand Valley State dropped a 5-4 decision to Belmont-Abbey College Monday afternoon at the 2009 NCAA DII World Series in Cary, N.C. GVSU, making its fourth appearance in the NCAA DII World Series since 2003, closes to the season with a 45-16-1 record...Belmont-Abbey led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth and when the Crusaders scored two runs to take a 4-0 lead it looked as if the 2009 season had come to an end for the Lakers. GVSU had not crossed home plate in 17 innings during the NCAA DII World Series and had just the top of the ninth to score four runs and force a bottom of the ninth. Freshman LF Cody Grice singled to open the ninth and senior DH Ben Knuth followed with a two-run homerun off the left field foul pole to pull the Lakers within two (4-2). Senior catcher Bobby Walmsley singled for the third time in the game and RF Scott Cain walked. Senior Matt Nickels entered the game to pinch run for Walmsley. Junior pinch hitter Jay Tharrett sacraficed Nickels and Cain up to second and third...Junior 2B Kyle Gendron reached on a fielder's choice as the pitcher threw home when he saw Nickels break for the play. However, the catchers throw to third was high and Nickels was able to slide safely. 1B Cory Maguire singled to right to score Nickels and pull the Lakers within one (4-3). Senior CF Casey Robrahn followed with a single to left to score Cain and tie the game. Gendron also tried to score from second on Robrahn's single, but was called out by the home plate umpire. Photos showed that Gendron's hand touched home plate before he was tagged. SS Brad Raj flied out to end thing inning that saw GVSU score four runs on five hits...Belmont-Abbey's Justin Vasquez reached on an infield single to open the bottom of the ninth and advanced to second on a passed ball. The Crusader's Daniel Kassouf was intentionally walked and pinch hitter Justin Baxley singled to left to load the bases. Catcher Spencer Sabol singled to left to score Vasquez and give Belmont-Abbey the win...Freshman pitcher Kyle Schepel yielded two runs and four hits in 4.2 innings. Junior Matt Cade yielded two runs in 3.0 innings of relief. David Bowman and Joe Jablonski also saw action on the hill for the Lakers. Walmsley led the Laker offensive attack with three hits, while Maguire and Robrahn each collected a pair of hits.