ALLENDALE, Mich. –
Jack Gallagher (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North High School) drove in six runs and hit his first career homer Tuesday at Grand Valley State, but the 20th-ranked Lakers were too much as Purdue Northwest fell in a pair of three-run contests,10-7 and 9-6.
PNW (11-10, 0-6 GLIAC) made a furious comeback attempt in the first game after falling behind 8-2. Gallagher's three-run blast in the fourth trimmed the Lakers' lead to three, then RBI knocks from Gallagher and
Ethan Imlach (Mokena, Ill./Mount Carmel) in the next inning brought the lead down to one as the Pride trailed 8-7. However, the Lakers responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth and held on for the win.
Imlach joined Gallagher in the multi-hit column for the first game, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored. Gallagher went 2 for 4 with a career-high four RBIs.
Jake Soules (Troy, Mich./Troy High School),
Luke Montgomery (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence High School),
Tyler Schultz (Hobart, Ind./Hobart),
Hayden Matulich (San Jose, Calif./Pioneer) and
Bret Matthys (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central) each collected a base knock.
Anthony Fumagalli (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North High School) walked twice and logged an RBI on a sac fly in his first at-bat to plate PNW's first run in the second inning.
Soules scored to lead off the third after rounding the bases on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder. That made the score 6-2 before the Lakers added two in the home half of the third. GVSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, added a run in the second, two in the third and two in the fifth.
Sam Shively (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka (Taylor)) (2-2) took the loss for PNW in Game 1 by giving up eight runs on nine hits with three walks and no strikeouts in his three innings of work.
Jack Sielatycki (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) and
Joe Buikema (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College Prep) combined for the final three innings of work, each allowing a run on two hits. Sielatycki had one walk and one strikeout while Buikema recorded two strikeouts and no walks.
In Game 2, GVSU (21-9, 4-2 GLIAC) raced out to a quick lead as the Lakers were on top of the Pride 6-1 after the fourth before holding off a late rally for the 9-6 victory.
Fumagalli got PNW on the board first again with another sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth.
Jack Gallagher (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North High School) would earn his third run-scoring hit of the day when his single up the middle plated Imlach and Matthys to pull within 6-3 after the sixth inning.
Ray Hilbrich (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) then smashed his second home run of the season in the seventh inning to make it a two-run game. Hilbrich showcased his opposite-field power after sending an 0-1 pitch pitch over the left field fence.
However, GVSU responded with a run in the seventh and two in the eighth for a 9-4 lead.
The Pride still had some fight left in them and brought the tying-run to the plate in the top of the ninth. Hilbrich's one-out double scored Montgomery, who drew a leadoff walk to spark the rally, and a Matthys RBI on a fielder's choice made it 9-6 before the offense ran dry.
Imlach (3 for 4) and Hilbrich (3 for 5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 RS) each turned in a three-hit outing in Game 2. It was Imlach's first three-hit performance and he's now tied with Schultz for the team lead in multi-hit contests with nine. Fumagalli also notched a pair of base knocks in the second game to finish 2 for 4 at the plate. Soules extended his 14-game reached-base streak when he drew a walk in the third inning.
Anthony Noble (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central High School) (0-4) took the loss on the mound, tossing three innings with five runs surrendered on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
UP NEXT
PNW will return to the friendly confines of Dowling Park for a four-game series against Northwood University on Easter Weekend. Single games will be played on Thursday and Saturday with a doubleheader sandwiched in on Friday. First pitch for Thursday's matinee affair is scheduled for 3 p.m. CDT.
FOLLOW THE PRIDE
For all the latest information on Purdue Northwest Baseball, please visit PNWathletics.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Pride (@pnwathletics / @PNW_Baseball) on Twitter. You can also find the Pride on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
