BOX SCORES:  GAME 1  |  GAME 2

ALLENDALE, Mich. - On a cold and overcast Saturday afternoon, the Wayne State University baseball team (25-14, 16-10 GLIAC) split a doubleheader with nationally-ranked Grand Valley State (31-11, 21-7 GLIAC).  The Warriors snapped the Lakers' 15-game winning streak with a 7-6 victory in the opener.  GVSU took the second game, 7-2.

Wayne State and GVSU will wrap up the four-game series Sunday at noon.


GAME 1: WAYNE STATE 7, GRAND VALLEY STATE 6

Kyle Vesey (Brighton, Mich.) hit a three-run homer, and Eric Cunningham (LaSalle, Ont./St. Thomas of Villanova) and J.J. Ciennik (Waterford, Mich./Mott) finished with two hits apiece as the Warriors handed the Lakers their first loss since April 6.

Kevin Zak and Steve Anderson led GVSU with three hits and two RBI each.

Wayne State scored six runs (five earned) off GVSU starter Kyle Schepel (8-3), who entered the week with a conference-best 1.35 ERA.  Schepel allowed four hits and four walks while striking out four in 3.2 innings.

The teams made a combined six errors in the game, including one by GVSU in the top of the first that contributed to Brad Guenther (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline) scoring on a grounder by Alex Trojan (Fenton, Mich./Hartland).  Zak grounded into a double play in the bottom of the first but Mike Nadratowski scored to tie the game.

A sacrifice fly by Kasey Koster (Portage, Mich./Central) plated Cunningham in the top of the second, and Vesey's three-run shot to left in the third made it a 5-1 game.  GVSU scored twice in the third on two hits and an error, but Wayne State responded with a run in the fourth on Kenny Davis' (Wyoming , Mich./Lee) RBI single, bringing home Koster.

The Lakers' scored again in the fifth inning but their potential rally was foiled by the third double play turned by the WSU defense in the game.

Koster led off the sixth with a double and scored on a base hit by J.J. Ciennik.  The run would prove to be critical as the Lakers mounted a comeback in the seventh.

Zak doubled in a run and later scored on a groundout by Anderson.  Billy Hurley (Mississauga, Ont./St. Aloysius Gonzaga), who picked up his eighth save, induced a pop-up to Jared Cowan to end the game.

Josh Wedesky (Fowlerville, Mich.) improved to 5-3, striking out five over six innings.  He allowed five runs (three earned) on 10 hits.


GAME 2: GRAND VALLEY STATE 7, WAYNE STATE 2

Grand Valley State snapped a 2-2 tie with a four-run fourth inning.  The Lakers tacked on another run in the sixth, providing more than enough insurance for Ryan Garman who struck out five in a complete-game four-hitter.

Two of the hits allowed by Garman (8-2) came in the top of the second inning, as Trojan led off with a double and scored on a triple by Vesey, who later came in on a grounder by Cunningham.

A sacrifice fly by Mitchell Kozlowski and a base hit by Nadratowski, producing one of his three RBI in the game, tied the score in the bottom of the second.  Nadratowski's two-run double was one of six Laker hits in the decisive fourth inning.

Greg Spiess (Saline, Mich.) took the loss (3-2) as he and Ethan Vasiliauskas (South Rockwood, Mich./Carleton Airport) each pitched three innings.  Spiess surrendered six runs on 10 hits.


NOTES

Vesey's last home run prior to Saturday also came against the Lakers on April 30, 2011 in Detroit … Hurley tied his 2011 saves total, which also ties for second-most in a single season in program history … he has 16 career saves, second-most all-time at WSU … Wayne State snapped a nine-game losing streak against GVSU in Saturday's opener.