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2004 GLIAC Baseball
Championship Tournament: GVSU Wins GLIAC Baseball Crown |
Complete Box Scores Behind starting pitcher Phil Mixter, the Grand Valley State baseball team displayed the perfect Mix-and-Match Game Saturday (May 8), winning the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship at AU’s Donges Field. Mixter shut out Ashland, 6-0 to clinch the title. He was backed by an attack that rapped out 13 hits and a defense that didn’t commit an error and turned three double plays. Mixter (6-2) limited the Eagles to five hits in hurling his second complete game of the season. He walked three and struck out four. Ashland (45-13) never had more than one hit in any inning. When the Eagles did hit the ball solidly, GVSU was in position to erase any threat. Shortstop Ryan Lyster started three double plays, teaming with second baseman Scott Smith and first baseman Scott Allen on all three twin killings. The Lakers (39-14), seeded second entering the tourney, took the lead in the third inning when Nick Sandy singled and came home on Smith’s one-out single to right field past AU second baseman Mark Kahlenberg. GVSU added two more runs in the fourth. Brandon McFarland doubled home one run and Matt Wright singled in another. The Lakers broke the game open with three runs in sixth inning. McFarland singled in one run, second baseman Jeremy Lundberg singled in another run and the final score came home on another base knock by Smith. Smith, Joe Mertes, Wright, McFarland and Sandy had two hits apiece for GVSU. AU gave the starting mound assignment to junior righty Cody Castle. Castle lasted a third of an inning on Friday in a 16-2 loss to GVSU. He pitched much better this time. He was consistently ahead in the count and in the early innings, hit his spots with his fastball and offspeed pitches. Castle lasted 5 2/3 innings and was charged with all six runs. He allowed 10 hits. Junior lefty Ryan Douglas and sophomore righty Jim Barry finished the game for the Eagles. Douglas went two scoreless innings. Kahlenberg was the lone AU player to collect more than one hit. He had two singles and a double, going 3-for-3. In Saturday’s first game, AU pounded Saginaw Valley State, 22-4. AU took control of the contest with an 11-run second inning. The Eagles finished the contest with 25 hits. Senior Chad Moore, pitching in relief, earned the win. Moore went 6 1/3 innings and permitted three runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out four. Senior designated hitter Bryce Bednarczyk, Kahlenberg, freshman third baseman Casey Jirsa, senior shortstop Eric McDaniel and freshman first baseman Ron Oneson all had three hits each for AU. McDaniel and Jirsa belted homers and McDaniel finished the game with five RBI. GLIAC All-Tournament Team |