APRIL 11, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team rallied late to win the first game of a doubleheader against Muskegon Community College on Sunday, but was beaten in the nightcap when MCC celebrated a walk-off, extra-inning win.
The softball team continued to struggle this weekend, dropping two games to Lansing Community College on Saturday.
The baseball team snagged a late lead for a 6-3 win in the first game on Sunday at Muskegon. The game was tied at two with the Raiders batting in the top of the sixth when Ryan Dykstra singled on a 1-2 count, scoring one run – the first of four the team would score in the frame, including one from a Jake Paganelli homer.
Drew Murphy earned the complete-game victory on the mound, allowing six hits and three runs over seven innings, striking out seven.
GRCC tallied seven hits. Paganelli, Dykstra, and Aaron West all had multiple hits for Grand Rapids Community College.
Muskegon celebrated last in the second game. The game was tied at 13 with MCC batting in the bottom of the tenth when Noah Reed hit a grand slam, giving the Jayhawks a 17-13 victory in 10 innings.
The Raiders had 17 hits in the high-scoring affair
The teams traded homers early, with Fernando Rivera-Calderon belting a solo homer for the Raiders, and Nolan Perrin responded for MCC.
GRCC tallied five runs in the fifth inning, led by Camden Keatley, Jake Ryan, West, and Ryan Dykstra, all sending runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning. But MCC followed with six runs.
Sam Schmitt took the loss for GRCC. The southpaw lasted two and a third innings, allowing one hit and four runs while striking out three.
Caleb Englesman started for GRCC, going four and two-thirds innings, allowing seven runs on 11 hits, striking out two and walking none.
Schmitt, Rivera-Calderon, West, Ryan, and Keatley each collected multiple hits for Grand Rapids Community College. Schmitt went 4-for-7 at the plate to lead Grand Rapids Community College in hits.
The split brings the Raiders season record to 12-7, with the team back in action on Wednesday, April 14 on the road against Aquinas College’s JV team.
The Raiders are gearing up for Friday’s game against nationally ranked Kellogg Community College at LMCU Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps.
The softball team’s record fell to 2-11 after a pair of defeats at the hands of Lansing Community College on Saturday on the road. The team scored eight runs in the first game, but fell 11-8. The team lost 9-2 in the night cap.
The softball team plays next on Tuesday, April13 at home at Belknap Park.