Holland Reporter

Grand Valley State University’s baseball team split a doubleheader against Parkside on Saturday, securing a series win with three victories out of four games. The Lakers now hold an overall record of 19-5 and are 3-1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play.

In the second game, shortstop Evan Morrison initiated the scoring by reaching base on a throwing error and advancing to second. Left fielder Ryan Dykstra then doubled, bringing Morrison home, and Jonas Gulbrandsen's fielder's choice allowed Dykstra to score, giving Grand Valley State a 2-0 lead. Additional runs were added in the third inning as Morrison singled and stole second, Jovan Gill walked, and Gulbrandsen was hit by a pitch. Catcher Brendan Guciardo walked with bases loaded, and third baseman Caleb Estrada's sacrifice fly scored Gill.

Morrison led off the seventh inning with another single followed by Gill’s single to center field. Gulbrandsen extended the lead with a three-run homer to left-center field, putting the Lakers ahead 7-1. Parkside attempted a comeback in the ninth inning but fell short after scoring four runs.

Senior left-handed pitcher Allan Thorington completed nine innings on the mound for Grand Valley State, allowing five runs—four earned—on eight hits while striking out three batters. Thorington threw 97 pitches in total, including 71 strikes.

Gulbrandsen contributed significantly with his one hit being a crucial three-run home run. Morrison went two-for-five with two runs scored while Dykstra recorded one hit with an RBI and two runs scored. Gill also contributed with one hit and two runs scored.

In contrast, Grand Valley State lost their first game of the day 4-1 despite Collin Bradley's efforts on the mound. Bradley gave up four unearned runs across four hits while striking out two batters. In this game, Dykstra and Gill provided back-to-back doubles for Grand Valley State’s only run in the first inning before being limited to just one more hit for the remainder of that game.