LANSING, Mich. - The quest for a third straight GLIAC Tournament championship ended on Saturday with a 7-5 loss to Grand Valley State in an elimination game. The Panthers looked good early with four runs in the second inning, but scored only one more run in the sixth. Meanwhile, the Lakers cut the lead down to 4-3 in the fourth inning and scored four more times in the seventh to snap a three-game losing streak against the Panthers.
Nino Puckett got the start for GVSU and the Panthers knocked him out of the game in the second inning. Allan Thorington was the savior for GVSU as he pitched the rest of the game and got the win. Thorington earlier in the season had a rough start against the Panthers, but this time around he kept his team in the game and finished with 7.1 innings and allowed just three hits with a walk and strikeout. DU had just the one strikeout but could not square up enough of the ball to get more than six hits overall.
Jared Schwartz made the most of his opportunity getting the start for Davenport. He lasted six innings and gave up four earned runs with three walks and nine strikeouts. He set a season high in innings and strikeouts today.
Spencer Vainavicz had a rare rough relief appearance yielding three runs in one inning to take the loss (4-3).
The Panthers had the tying run on first in the bottom of the ninth.
Caleb Anspaugh led off with a pinch-hit single to center.
Gaetano Vallone also had a two-out single up the middle in his final collegiate at-bat.
Ben Mets was not as fortunate in his last at-bat as a Panther with a grounder to first to end the game. Davenport finishes the season with a 27-26 overall record.
