By Alexandria Webb
On Tuesday, April 7, the Grand Rapids Community College men’s baseball team shut out Lake Michigan College 9-0, improving their overall record to 11-10 (8-1) in conference play, extending their win streak to eight.
Head Coach Mike Eddington was pleased with the results of the game, including how everyone had their chance to contribute to the win.
“I was just happy everyone got a chance to play,” Eddington said. “When everyone gets a chance to play, we’re happy with it.”
Sophomore Pitcher Landon Terry started out on the mound for the Raiders, leading the team in a high-energy defense that carried throughout the game.
“It felt great, first start (pitching) of the season, so I’m glad I got it done for the boys,” Terry said.
Terry had his own set of fans cheering him on, as he pitched a total of seven innings. In the stands watching him was his grandma Jane and uncle Ryan.
“They love to see me play,” Terry said. “That was actually my uncle’s first time ever seeing me play, so I’m super glad I got to show out in front of him, and my grandma is always supporting, so I love to see them in the stands.”
Terry struck out a total of 10 batters, out of the 24 he faced. Sharing this moment with his family made it even more significant to him.
“Super huge, I love it,” Terry said. “It makes me just feel really good that all my family loves me that much. I can’t really put it into words how much it means to me.”
As a pitcher, Terry’s performance on the mound had an impact on the team’s defense.
“Landon Terry pitched a great game,” Eddington said. “They’re good, that’s what they’re supposed to do. He executed and threw strikes. That’s a really good game.”
Overall, the Raiders displayed amazing defense, as the team worked together to ensure no runs made it home.
“The boys were dialed in today, it was just good to see us put up a shutout, and I couldn’t be more happier right now,” Terry said.
Freshman Second Baseman Owen Hendrix played a key role in the team’s dominant win, crediting his success to the effort he puts in off the field.
“I just trust in what I do in practice,” Hendrix said. “Just getting it done in practice, and then it happens in game. It’s all because of how hard you work in practice.”
Hendrix’s confidence really stood out at the plate, which was highlighted by a swing he knew had a chance to go the distance as soon as it left his bat.
“Yeah, kind of, had some backspin on it,” Hendrix said. “So I had a feeling it was going.”
Eddington did comment on Hendrix’s homerun, “We want him (Owen) to hit a line drive, he hit a line drive, and got a home run.”
When asked to describe his performance in one word, Hendrix thought for a minute and landed on “electric,” but he made sure to emphasize the overall effort the team made to gain the win.
Hendrix emphasized how much support from his teammates impacts his performance.
“Having your guys behind you, makes you feel like you can do a lot more than just what you think you are capable of,” Hendrix said.
This victory represented a key turning point in the season for the team.
“It’s good,” Hendrix said. “It breaks us over .500, so it’s a huge win and working our way back to a winning record, so it’s good stuff.”
GRCC had 10 hits overall, which turned into nine runs. Altogether the team defensively had 27 putouts, with Sophomore Catcher Gulick leading the team with 11. Offensively, Hendrix led the team with two runs, one of them being his homerun.
The Raiders will return to Belknap Park on Friday, April 10, in a doubleheader against Muskegon Community College starting at 2 p.m.
Collegiate reporter Dylan Loonsfoot contributed to this story.
