On Saturday, April 13, Grand Rapids Community College baseball defeated the Muskegon Community College Jayhawks at their home field in Muskegon. The Raiders beat the Jayhawks 12-6 in game one, 13-4 in game two, 3-2 in game three and 9-5 in game four.
Game One
In the 12-6 win, sophomore right-handed pitcher Lucas McKinney had a quality start, pitching 4.2 innings, throwing six strikeouts and giving up six hits on five runs and four base on balls. In the fifth inning, freshman left-handed pitcher Alex Pohlmann took over for McKinney, pitching 2.1 innings, throwing two strikeouts and giving up three hits and one run.
In the scoring department, the second inning provided the Raiders’ first run as freshman infielder Austin Gates reached first base on a throwing error by the third baseman of the Jayhawks. This scored freshman outfielder Collin Fridsma giving GRCC a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, freshman outfielder Ty Sandwick singled, scoring freshman infielder Camden Seth, 2-0 Raiders. Also in the third, MCC walked Gates on four pitches allowing Fridsma to score, 3-0 Raiders.
In the same inning sophomore outfielder Trevin Laming walked allowing Sandwick to score, 4-0 Raiders. Laming then advanced to second on a wild pitch, scoring freshman infielder Xavier Allen, 5-0 Raiders. In the fourth inning, sophomore infielder Dylan Nguyen hit a two-run home run, scoring freshman first baseman Jacob Pitt, 7-0 Raiders. Also in the fourth inning, freshman catcher Joey Hysell hit a solo home run making it 8-0 Raiders.
After the Jayhawks got on the board in the fourth, Pitt singled, scoring freshman middle infielder Chad Fisher Jr, and Laming making it 10-3 Raiders in the fifth. Also in the fifth, Hysell hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Pitt, an 11-3 Raider lead. In the sixth inning, after the Jayhawks tacked on two more runs, sophomore outfielder Aaron Bess reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, scoring Laming and making it 12-6 Raiders.
Game Two
In game two of a doubleheader, GRCC won 13-4 behind six strong innings from Seth, who threw six strikeouts, giving up nine hits on four runs and one walk. Freshman pitcher Walker Brodie came in relief for Seth, pitching one inning and throwing one strikeout.
When it came to scoring, in the first inning, Nguyen singled, scoring Fisher Jr. and Laming, 2-0 Raiders. In the same inning, Sandwick singled, scoring Nguyen, 3-0 Raiders. Later on in the inning, Allen singled, scoring Pitt, 4-0 Raiders. After the Jayhawks got on the board with a run in the second, Bess hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Laming, 5-1 Raiders.
In the fifth, the Raiders answered the Jayhawks two runs by scoring two runs of their own as Laming tripled, scoring Gates, 6-3 Raiders. Fisher Jr. then singled, scoring Laming, 7-3 Raiders. In the sixth, after a run was added on by the Jayhawks, the Raiders’ Sandwick singled, scoring Fridsma and Nguyen, 9-4 Raiders. Sandwick then advanced to third on a wild pitch, scoring Pitt, 10-4 Raiders. Bess also singled, scoring Sandwick. Nguyen also singled, scoring Fisher Jr. and Laming, 13-4 Raiders.
On Sunday, April 14, GRCC traveled home to once again face the Jayhawks this time at Belknap Park.
Game Three
In game one of a doubleheader, GRCC sophomore right-handed pitcher Colton Blankstrom threw seven innings, and lived up to his name, blanking eight Jayhawk hitters. Blankstrom gave up five hits on two runs. Freshman right-handed pitcher Ohlen Bond pitched an inning and threw one strikeout.
Unlike the previous two lopsided wins for the Raiders, scoring was at a premium in this contest as the Raiders won 3-2. After the Jayhawks took the lead in the fifth, the Raiders got on the board in the sixth as Seth singled, scoring Fisher Jr. and Laming. In the eighth, the Raiders took the lead after Bess singled, scoring Fridsma, 3-2 Raiders.
Game Four
In game two of a doubleheader, GRCC went on another scoring spree, winning 9-5.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Canyen Veldhouse pitched four innings, throwing five strikeouts and giving up five walks. Freshman right-handed pitcher Logan VanSurksum pitched one inning of relief, throwing two strikeouts and giving up two hits on four runs and three walks. Freshman right-handed pitcher Thano Klett pitched two innings, throwing three strikeouts, giving up two hits on two runs and one walk.
In the second inning, the Raiders got on the board as Bess singled, scoring Nguyen, 1-0 Raiders. In the fourth, Sandwick singled, scoring Bess and Seth, 3-0 Raiders. Also in the fourth, Allen reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Fridsma, 4-0 Raiders. In the fifth, the Jayhawks scored three of their own but the Raiders answered back in the fifth with a single by Hysell, scoring Nguyen and Seth, 6-3 Raiders. Allen then singled, scoring Bess, 7-3 Raiders.
Also in the fifth, Gates walked with the bases loaded allowing Fridsma to score, 8-3 Raiders. Laming also walked in the inning, allowing Sandwick to score, 9-3 Raiders. The Jayhawks scored two runs in the inning but it wasn’t enough as the Raiders won 9-5.
In their next matchup, now 23-9, 12-0 in the conference GRCC faces the Aquinas College Saints junior varsity team on Tuesday, April 16 in a nine-inning game starting at 3 p.m. at Belknap Park.
