GLIAC Tournament Central

The Malone University baseball team suffered a tough 7-6 defeat to second-seeded Grand Valley State (MI) University on Thursday morning during the opening round of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament.

The Lakers, ranked 13th in the most recent NCAA Division II National Poll, used a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to the tie the game at 6-6 and then got a walk-off RBI single from catcher Josh McLaughlin to win it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

The fifth-seeded Pioneers will move on to the tournament's consolation bracket where they will play an elimination game on Friday at 10:30 a.m. against the loser of Thursday's second game between top-seeded Ashland University and sixth-seeded Wayne State (MI) University. 

The Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of Thursday's contest as centerfielder Brenden Wells raced home from third on a wild pitch.  The Lakers answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring twice to take a 2-1 advantage.

A Pioneer throwing error then allowed GVSU to increase its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth before Malone roared back in the top of the sixth, scoring five runs to grab a 6-3 advantage. 

After catcher Matt Davis led off the frame with a solo homer to left-center, a pair of two-out singles from leftfielder Ryan Froman and first baseman Tyler Eagon put runners on first and second. The next batter of the inning, second baseman Austin Pachan,  reached on an infield single and all three base runners moved up when the attempt to throw out Pachan at first sailed out of play.

With the game knotted at 3-3 and runners on second and third, Wells lined a single to right, scoring both runners.  Following a walk by shortstop Richie Mast, third baseman Jon Crank stepped to the plate and delivered the Pioneers' fifth two-out base hit of the inning, driving in Wells to make the score 6-3.

GVSU cut the deficit to 6-4 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth and then used the late-inning rally to complete the comeback.

The Pioneers threatened to score in both the seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to increase their lead.  GVSU threw a runner out at home to end the seventh and then managed to work around a leadoff single by Wells in the top of the eighth.

Starting pitcher Joe Costello tossed the first 5.1 innings for Malone, surrendering four runs (three earned) on 12 hits.  Reliever Gary Lawrence worked 2.1 innings, giving up one run.  Gunnar Smeyres then came on in the eighth and was saddled with his first loss of the season (2-1).

All nine Malone batters tallied at least one hit in the contest.  Wells was on base following all five of his plate appearances, tallying three hits, a walk and reaching on an error.  The sophomore centerfielder scored two runs and tallied a pair of RBI's.  Pachan went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt and one run scored.