Ashland, Grand Valley To Meet in Baseball Regional Title Game
Ticket to D-II Series on the line Saturday
May 14, 2004

Day One Summary

AU vs. WPU Box Score

Ashland, Grand Valley To Meet in Regional Title Game

The two teams that met for the GLIAC tournament title a week ago, Ashland and Grand Valley State, will collide on Saturday for the NCAA Division II North Central Baseball Regional crown and a berth in the NCAA Division II Championships in Montgomery, AL.

A week ago in Ashland, Ashland University and Grand Valley State played for the GLIAC crown and it was the visiting Lakers who won the league title on Ashland’s home field. On Saturday, AU will try to secure its third berth in Montgomery in seven years. The Eagles are undefeated in the tournament (2-0) and playing on their home field for the regional tournament.

A recap of Friday’s action (May 14) at AU’s Donges Field follows.

Grand Valley State 7, Northern Kentucky 4
The Norse can now sympathize with Gilligan, the Skipper, the Professor, well you get the picture. Being stranded is no fun.

The Lakers eliminated NKU (37-25) from the tourney behind a route-going performance from senior lefty Matt Rafeld. Rafeld, the GLIAC pitcher of the year, dodged trouble throughout the game. The Norse got to him for 13 hits and stranded 12 runners. But in every crucial situation, Rafeld was able to work himself out of trouble. He only walked two batters. The Lakers played exceptional defense behind him, they didn’t commit an error.

GVSU (40-15) took the lead for good in the fifth inning, pushing across a pair of runs to break a 3-3 tie. The go-ahead came home on a single by Tim Hudnall and the next run scored via an error.

Grand Valley second baseman Scott Smith was 2-for-5 with a three-run homer. Left fielder Nick Sandy was 3-for-4 and catcher Elijah Beckwith and designated hitter Matt Wright were 2-for-4. The Lakers finished with 14 hits.

Matt Wiedeman (9-2) took the loss. He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs, six earned, on 13 hits. NKU was paced by left fielder Shaun Erie, who went 4-for-5. Left fielder Alex Frank was 2-for-5 with a triple.

Ashland 8, Wisconsin-Parkside 4
Cheese is something they know all about in Wisconsin. But the Rangers were in no mood to smile and say, “Cheese,” on Friday. They let the Eagles get the early lead and playing from behind against an Ashland team that’s hitting on all cylinders is a prescription for trouble.

AU scored a pair of unearned runs in the first inning and put the game away with a four-run seventh inning. Four Ashland players collected two hits apiece as AU got to Rangers pitchers Matt Anderson and Paul Gagliardi for 13 hits.

In the first inning, AU had just one hit, a leadoff single by designated hitter Allen Ayers. But the Rangers tossed in a wild pitch, a passed ball, two walks and an error. Throw it all together and the Eagles had two runs.

Early on, that looked as if it would be enough for starter and winner Josh Davidson. The rookie righthander handcuffed the Rangers for four innings. Davidson retired the first 12 hitters he faced and had four strikeouts during that stretch. The first hit came when W-P first baseman Adam Brechtl singled to left field to open the fifth inning. He came around to score on a base hit to left by third baseman Kevin Powell.

For all intents and purposes, the Eagles put the game away with four runs in the seventh inning. The frame featured run-scoring singles by senior catcher Josh Gaub and senior shortstop Eric McDaniel. This rally was also helped along by a crucial misplay, on Gaub’s single as the ball got past center fielder Jim Healy and rolled to the fence. That allowed two more runs to cross home plate.

Ayers, senior center fielder Brandon Cornell, Gaub and McDaniel had two hits each for Ashland (46-13). Gaub scored three runs.

Davidson (10-2) lasted 8 1/3 innings. The GLIAC freshman of the year allowed four runs, all earned, on 10 hits. He didn’t walk a batter and whiffed five. Davidson leads the team in victories. Lefty Ryan Douglas got the final two outs for his sixth save of the season.

Powell and left fielder Tim Baum both went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI for the Rangers (41-17).

The loss went to Matt Anderson (6-6). He allowed seven runs, three earned, in seven innings.

Grand Valley State 10, Wisconsin-Parkside 5

The Lakers are putting together a Survivor series all on their own.

Grand Valley stayed alive in the tournament and sent the Rangers packing with an early onslaught that produced a 6-0 lead after two innings.

The Lakers (41-15) grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks to home runs by Joe Mertes and Tim Hudnall. Both players ended the game with three RBI. Leadoff hitter Scott Smith was 3-for-5 and crossed home plate four times. The Lakers banged out 14 hits against four Wisconsin-Parkside pitchers.

The Lakers used a trio of pitchers. The win went to starter Phil Mixter (7-2), who went 6 2/3 innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits. The righthander walked six and struck out nine.

Starter Matt Perdue (6-4) took the loss. He lasted 1 1/3 innings.

Right fielder Casey Garms went 4-for-4 with a double for Wisconsin-Parkside (41-18). Second baseman Andy Garms and center fielder Jim Healy had two hits and two RBI apiece and Healy had a triple.