On Sunday, April 27, the Purdue Northwest baseball team battled the No. 16-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers in a hard-fought doubleheader, falling in both games by just one run.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (15-24), Grand Valley State (35-10)
• Location: Hammond, Indiana
• GLIAC Conference Game

The Breakdown
Game One: L (6-7) -7 Innings

• Dan Puplava (Portage, Ind./Portage) had a huge day at the plate, leading the Pride with three hits, including a three-run homer in the third inning that helped PNW briefly take the lead.
• AJ Reid (Highland, Ind./Highland) also came up big, launching a two-run home run in the first inning and finishing with two hits and two RBIs.
• Kam Earley (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) added two hits and scored twice, while Jayden Smith (Allegan, Mich./Allegan) (Allegan, Mich./Allegan) came off the bench with a clutch double.
• Jax Kalemba (Chicago, Ill./Andrean) contributed a hit and a walk, and Doug Loden (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) chipped in a single and scored a run.
• Mitchell Stanton (South Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) (Highland, Ind./Highland) started on the mound for PNW, allowing five earned runs over 5.2 innings and taking the loss (1-4).
  Eric Beck (Manteno, Ill/Manteno) and Josh Damian (Blue Island, Ill./Eisenhower) (Highland, Ind./Highland) combined for 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to keep the Pride within striking distance.
• For Grand Valley State, J. Gill led the way with three hits, including an RBI single in the second and sixth innings. R. Dykstra added two runs scored and an RBI.
• C. Bradley earned the win for the Lakers (6-2), pitching five innings and giving up six runs, while W. Goebel picked up the save (4) by shutting down the Pride over the final two innings
• The Pride jumped on the board early after Reid's two-run shot to right field in the bottom of the first, responding to an early 3-0 deficit.
• After GVSU added two more runs in the second, Puplava's towering three-run homer in the third inning gave PNW a 5-5 tie.
  The two teams traded runs again, with Puplava adding an RBI single in the fifth to even the game at 6-6.
• Grand Valley took the lead for good in the sixth on another RBI single from Gill, and the Pride were unable to break through late despite putting the tying run on base.
• PNW out hit Grand Valley State 10-8 but couldn't overcome a couple of key defensive miscues and timely Lakers hitting.

The Breakdown
Game Two: L (10-9) – 9 Innings

• Purdue Northwest came out swinging, scoring two runs in the first inning. A sacrifice fly from AJ Reid (Highland, Ind./Highland) and a groundout RBI by Dan Puplava (Portage, Ind./Portage) gave the Pride an early 2-0 lead.
• After Grand Valley tied the game in the second, the Pride answered right back. Brayden Barrett (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) doubled home a run, and Drake Ballard (Louisville, Ky./Martha Laynes Collins) singled to push the lead to 4-2. Cole Olson (Stanton, Mich./Central Montcalm) and Jayden Smith (Allegan, Mich./Allegan) added RBIs in the third and fifth innings, helping the Pride build a 6-4 advantage.
• However, Grand Valley State stormed back with a three-run sixth inning, fueled by RBI hits from Jack Gill and Nate Krstich, flipping the lead in their favor 7-6.
• Kam Earley (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) sparked a late charge in the ninth, blasting a solo homer to cut the deficit. Jax Kalemba (Chicago, Ill./Andrean) then delivered a two-run single, bringing the Pride within one. Despite the furious rally, the game ended with the tying run left on base.
• Offensively, Purdue Northwest had standout performances across the lineup:
• Ballard went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
• Earley finished with three hits, including a home run and an RBI.
• Olson tallied three hits and drove in a run, while Barrett added a double, a run, and an RBI.
• Puplava contributed two hits, a triple, and an RBI.
• Smith and Kalemba each delivered key RBIs as part of the Pride's 15-hit attack.
• AJ Reid (Highland, Ind./Highland) took the loss on the mound (0-2), allowing five runs over four innings of relief. Owen Walkowiak (Crown Point, Ind./Andrean) (Crown Point, Ind./Andrean) started the game, tossing five innings and striking out five while giving up two earned runs.
• For Grand Valley, Ryley Dykstra delivered the big blow with a three-run homer in the ninth to extend their lead. Krstich led the Lakers with three hits and three RBIs. Aiden VanEnkevo earned the win (2-1) in relief, and despite a shaky ninth, Grand Valley managed to hold on.