ALLENDALE, Mich. - The Davenport and Grand Valley State baseball teams moved up their doubleheader by two hours on Saturday to try and avoid the forecasted rain. It almost worked but not quite as game two was suspended after seven innings with the Panthers clinging to an 8-7 lead. That game will be resumed tomorrow (Sunday) beginning at noon at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex in Allendale and then the teams will play another nine-inning game on Senior Day. That ceremony will take place between games.
The completed game was a seven-inning, nail-biter and the Lakers scored three times in the bottom of the sixth for the 3-1 win for their first win of the season series. Neither team could muster much offense as the pitchers owned the stage.
James Kohl and Colby Phipps did not budge a lot, but the Panthers did score their run in the third inning.
Coltrane Rubner singled with one out and stole second as the throw went into center field and he advanced to third.
Ben Mets came through with a two-out, RBI single to score Rubner.
Kohl was dealing through five innings giving up just two hits and started off the game in style with three straight strikeouts. One other big moment in the game happened in the top of the fifth as Mets and
Khale Showers walked with two outs.
Carter Troncin delivered a single to left but Mets was thrown out at the plate by Kyle Nott to keep it 1-0. The Lakers broke through with four hits in the sixth including three against Kohl. Connor led off with a double and took third on a wild pitch. Logan Anderson followed with a RBI single to tie the game. After a strikeout, Jake Rydquist doubled down the left field line and Anderson moved to third.
Spencer Vainavicz, who got the win in relief yesterday, got a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jonas Gulbrandsen to score Anderson with the winning run. MacArthur Graybill added on an insurance run with a RBI single up the middle to score Rydquist for the 3-1 lead. Sam Leck picked up the save in the seventh by getting three groundouts by
Gaetano Vallone, Mets, and Showers.
Kohl moved to 5-5 on the hill overall this season and struck out nine with just one walk in 5.1 innings. Phipps (7-2) went six innings and allowed eight hits with no earned runs, four walks, and four strikeouts.
Tyler Mosher went 2-for-3 with a double and
Josh Robinson also had a double and drew two walks.
