CALEDONIA, Mich. - The Davenport baseball team had been looking for a breakout offensive game after a slow start this season and they got just that against Grand Valley State on Tuesday. The Panthers had the largest margin of victory in the all-time series against the Lakers with a final score of 16-4. DU also won for the seventh time in the last eight meetings against GVSU and more importantly improved to 2-3 in the GLIAC.
The Panthers jumped all over Allan Thorington of the Lakers with eight runs against lefty in just 2.1 innings. Thorington came into the game allowing 10 hits in 14 innings and allowed 11 hits in those 2.1 innings of work with no walks and one strikeout. He struck out the first batter he faced and then gave up a hit by pitch followed by four straight singles in the first inning. DU took a 2-0 lead at that point and left the bases loaded.
The Lakers got one run back in the second on a RBI single by Ayden VanEnkevort, but the offense was just getting started for the Panthers.
Caleb Anspaugh homered to right center with one out in the second inning for his first long ball of the season.
Gaetano Vallone doubled to right up against the wall and then
Ben Mets drove a RBI single up the middle for a 4-1 lead.
Devon Nettles got his first start of the season and held the Lakers in check through three innings. Davenport would score four times in the third inning to open things up. The inning started with an error by GVSU and then two wonderful bunt singles by
Coltrane Rubner and
Logan Todd. Anspaugh smoked a ball down the left field line with the bases loaded to score a pair for a 6-1 lead. Mets then had a one-out RBI single through the left side of the infield. Will Goebel replaced Thorington on the mound at that point.
Khale Showers reached on a fielder's choice and got a RBI to make it 8-1.
Nettles ran into some trouble in the fourth when the Lakers had their best inning scoring three runs on five hits. Three straight hits followed by a groundout marked the end for Nettles.
Cade Kontny entered for the Panthers and he allowed two inherited runners to score. Nettles finished with 3.1 innings and three earned runs to go with a walk and two strikeouts.
Davenport got those runs right back scoring five times in the fourth inning. Rubner had a two-RBI triple to left center and Vallone also had a RBI triple to left center. Mets and Todd also had a sacrifice fly to increase the lead to 13-4.
Mets drove in his fourth run in the sixth inning and the scoring concluded in the sixth with an error and wild pitch. Mets finished 4-for-5 and scored two runs. Anspaugh was 3-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBI and was shy a triple shy of the cycle.
Miko Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a run and RBI and stole a base. Kontny (2-0) got the win with 3.2 relief innings and fared well allowing no runs with a walk and strikeout.
Logan Bursick-Harrington and
Spencer Vainavicz each got an inning of work and each walked one with three strikeouts.
DU continues their homestand on Friday with a doubleheader against Purdue Northwest at 1 PM. It is a rematch of the 2022 GLIAC Tournament championship.
