On Thursday, April 25, the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team swept Mid Michigan College, 6-2 and 8-1 in a doubleheader series played at Belknap Park.
Game One
GRCC got on the board in the second inning after freshman catcher Joey Hysell hit a home run to left field, scoring sophomore designated hitter Dylan Nguyen, 2-0 Raiders.
In the third inning, sophomore outfielder Trevin Laming singled up the middle, scoring freshman second baseman Austin Gates, 3-0 Raiders. Later in the inning, freshman shortstop Chad Fisher Jr. doubled to right center field, scoring Laming, 4-0 Raiders. Also in the third, Nguyen singled through the left side of the field, scoring Fisher Jr., 5-0 Raiders. Toward the end of the inning, Hysell singled to third base, sophomore right fielder Aaron Bess advanced to third, and Nguyen scored making it 6-0 Raiders.
In the fourth and fifth innings, the Lakers got on the board for the first time, making it 6-2 Raiders with a pair of singles. However, GRCC held on for the 6-2 win in seven innings.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Lucas McKinney, now 7-1 on the season, got the start, throwing six innings and striking out nine. McKinney gave up two runs, five hits and three walks. Freshman left-handed pitcher Trevor Nagelkirk came in relief for McKinney in the seventh inning, pitching one inning giving up only one hit.
Game Two
GRCC got on the board early, in the first inning, thanks to a Nguyen single through the left side of the field. Bess advanced to second and Laming scored, 1-0 Raiders. Also in the first inning, freshman first baseman Jacob Pitt doubled to right center field, scoring Nguyen and Bess, 3-0 Raiders. Toward the end of the first inning, freshman designated hitter Ty Sandwick singled down the right-field line and advanced to second on a fielding error by the right fielder. Pitt scored on the play, 4-0 Raiders.
After the Lakers got a run off a sacrifice fly in the second, GRCC answered back in the fifth thanks to a two-run home run by Nguyen to left center, scoring Bess, 6-1 Raiders.
In the sixth, freshman third-baseman Xavier Allen tripled to right field, scoring Sandwick, 7-1 Raiders. Also in the sixth, Laming reached first base on a fielding error by the shortstop, scoring Allen, 8-1 Raiders. 8-1 was the final score in seven innings.
Freshman pitcher Camden Seth got the start, improving to 6-2 on the season. Seth went six innings, throwing five strikeouts and giving up one run on five hits and one walk. Freshman right-handed pitcher Thano Klett came in relief for Seth in the seventh inning, pitching one inning, throwing one strikeout and giving up two walks.
The Raiders, now 30-10 and 18-0 in conference play, will face the Bruins of Kellogg Community College in a nine-inning game on Tuesday, April 30 at 3 p.m. in Battle Creek.
