Game One
On Tuesday, April 30, the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team defeated Kellogg Community College, 14-3 in a nine-inning game played at C.O. (Cooper Othniel) Brown Stadium in Battle Creek.
Scoring
1-0 Raiders
In the first inning, the Raiders took the early lead thanks to a single to left field by freshman shortstop Chad Fisher Jr., who advanced to second base on the throw, allowing sophomore center fielder Trevin Laming to score.
2-0 Raiders
Freshman first baseman Camden Seth reached first base on a dropped fly by the left fielder, allowing Fisher Jr. to score.
3-0 Raiders
Freshman left fielder Ty Sandwick walked and advanced to third base on a wild pitch, allowing Seth to score also on a wild pitch.
4-3 Raiders
In the fifth inning, after the Bruins tied the game up at 3-3, freshman catcher Joey Hysell helped the Raiders retake the lead thanks to a single to left field, advancing Sandwick to second and sophomore right fielder Aaron Bess to third, allowing Seth to score.
5-3 Raiders
Freshman third baseman Xavier Allen singled to right center, advancing freshman pinch runner Collin Fridsma to third, scoring Sandwick.
6-3 Raiders
In the sixth inning, freshman first baseman Jacob Pitt singled to right field, scoring Fisher Jr..
7-3 Raiders
Hysell singled to left field, advancing Sandwick to second and Bess to third, scoring Pitt.
8-3 Raiders
Allen singled up the middle, advancing Fridsma to second and Sandwick to third, scoring Bess.
9-3 Raiders
Allen advanced to second on a wild pitch, advancing Fridsma to third also on a wild pitch, scoring Sandwick on another wild pitch.
10-3 Raiders
In the seventh inning, Sandwick walked, advancing sophomore designated hitter Dylan Nguyen to second and Pitt to third, scoring Fisher Jr.
12-3 Raiders
Allen singled through the left side of the infield, advancing Sandwick to second, scoring Nguyen and Pitt.
14-3 Raiders
Laming singled up the middle, advancing freshman second baseman Austin Gates to second, scoring Allen and Sandwick to score.
Pitching
In the blowout win, freshman right-handed pitcher Walker Brockie got the start, pitching three innings, throwing one strikeout and giving up three runs on four hits and one walk.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Trevor Nagelkirk got the win, improving to 1-0 on the season, coming in relief of Brockie in the fourth, pitching four innings, throwing two strikeouts and giving up no runs on three hits and two walks.
Game Two
On Wednesday, May 1, GRCC defeated Mid Michigan College, 23-14 in seven innings, in the first game of a doubleheader played at Shepherd High School in Shepherd.
Scoring
2-0 Raiders
In the first inning, Pitt doubled to left field, advancing Nguyen to third, scoring Fisher and Laming.
3-0 Raiders
Sandwick grounded out to second base, advancing Pitt to third, scoring Nguyen.
4-0 Raiders
Pitt scored on a wild pitch.
5-3 Raiders
In the second inning, after three runs were scored by the Lakers to make it 4-3, Laming hit a solo home run to left field.
6-3 Raiders
In the third inning, Sandwick doubled to right field, advancing Pitt to third, scoring Nguyen.
7-3 Raiders
Hysell singled to left field, advancing Sandwick to third, scoring Pitt.
8-3 Raiders
Fridsma advanced to second on a passed ball, scoring Sandwick also on a passed ball.
9-3 Raiders
Later in the inning, Allen advanced to second on a passed ball, scoring Fridsma also on consecutive passed balls.
10-3 Raiders
Gates singled up the middle, advancing to second on the throw, scoring Allen.
11-3 Raiders
Also in the inning, Fisher Jr. singled to left field, advancing Laming to second, scoring Gates.
13-3 Raiders
Pitt doubled to center field, advancing Nguyen to third, scoring Fisher Jr. and Laming.
16-7 Raiders
In the fifth inning, after the Lakers tacked on four runs in the third and fourth innings, Hysell hit a 3-run home run to left field, scoring Sandwick and Nguyen.
17-7 Raiders
In the sixth inning, after the Lakers scored seven runs in the fifth inning, Bess reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, scoring Fisher.
18-14 Raiders
Sandwick singled to right field, advancing Pitt to second and Nguyen to third, scoring Bess.
19-14 Raiders
Also in the inning, Hysell walked, advancing Sandwick to second and Pitt to third, scoring Nguyen.
20-14 Raiders
Allen walked, advancing Fridsma to second and Sandwick to third, scoring Pitt.
21-14 Raiders
Gates walked, advancing Allen to second and Fridsma to third, scoring Sandwick.
22-14 Raiders
Toward the end of the inning, Laming walked, advancing Gates to second and Allen to third, scoring Fridsma.
23-14 Raiders
Fisher Jr. then grounded out to the second baseman, advancing Laming to second and Gates to third, scoring Allen.
Pitching
In the lopsided win, sophomore right-handed pitcher Colton Blankstrom got the win, improving to 2-2 on the season, pitching 3.2 innings and throwing four strikeouts, and giving up seven runs on seven hits and three walks.
Seth came in relief for Blankstrom in the fourth, pitching 0.2 innings and throwing one strikeout, and giving up five runs on two hits and two walks.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Andrew Pohlmann came in relief for Seth in the fourth inning, pitching 2.2 innings and throwing five strikeouts, and giving up two runs on one hit and one walk.
Game Three
In game two of the doubleheader, GRCC defeated MMC, 13-1 in five innings in Mt. Pleasant.
Scoring
1-0 Raiders
In the first inning, Nguyen doubled to right center, scoring Laming.
2-0 Raiders
Hysell was hit by the pitch, which advanced Pitt to second and Sandwick to third, scoring Nguyen.
3-0 Raiders
Allen was also hit by the pitch, advancing Fridsma to second and Pitt to third, scoring Sandwick.
5-0 Raiders
Gates then singled up the middle, advancing Allen to second, and scoring Fridsma and Pitt.
7-0 Raiders
Fisher Jr. also singled to left center, advancing Laming to second, scoring Gates and Allen.
8-1 Raiders
In the fourth inning, after the Lakers got on the board in the third thanks to a solo home run, Sandwick singled to left field, advancing Nguyen to second, scoring Bess.
12-1 Raiders
Hysell hit a grand slam, four-run home run to left center, scoring Pitt, Sandwick, and Nguyen.
13-1 Raiders
Toward the end of the inning, Fisher Jr. flew out to left field, scoring Allen.
Pitching
Freshman left-handed pitcher Canyen Veldhouse improved to 7-1 on the season, pitching five innings and throwing ten strikeouts, and giving up one run on four hits and one walk.
Up Next
Now 33-10, 20-0 in the Northern Conference, GRCC will face the Stars of Lansing Community College in a nine-inning game on Monday, May 6 at 3 p.m. in an away game in Lansing.
This will be the final game of the regular season before the playoffs as the Raiders have clinched a spot in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XII (12) Tournament which starts Thursday, May 9.
