Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Site: Port Huron, MI
Score: Game 1 - GRCC 13, St. Clair County CC 2; Game 2 – GRCC 8, St. Clair County CC 6
Record: GRCC (8-16, 7-5 MCCAA) St. Clair County CC (7-13, 5-7 MCCAA)

Game 1

Port Huron, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team exploded for 13 runs and 15 hits in the first of two games against St. Clair County Community College on Thursday (April 17). After trading runs in the first and second innings, the Raiders pulled away from the Skippers with a dominating 7 run, 7 hit fourth inning, eventually winning by a score of 13 -2 in five innings of play.

The monster fourth inning began with a double to right field by Anthony Villar (Hartland Twp., MI, Hartland ('13)) , who then scored as the next batter, Jim Eloff (Novi, MI, Novi (12')), scorched a single through the gap between first and second, bringing A Villar in to score. The blistering hitting display continued as Dylan Davis (Byron Center, MI, Byron Center (12')) hit a single on a 2-2 pitch up the middle, advancing Eloff to second base. Jacob Waters (Lansing, MI, Lansing Eastern (12')) did his part by playing small ball, grounding out to third base, allowing the runners to move to second and third base. A single by Nolan Page (Lake Orion, MI, Lake Orion ('13)) scored Eloff making it 6-2 in favor of GRCC. The bases were then loaded when Ian Hathaway (Macomb, MI, Dakota ('12)) reached first on a walk. A pitching change for the Skippers could not stop the bleeding, a pass ball scored Davis bringing the count to 7-2, Nick Black's (Anchor Bay, MI, Anchor Bay (12')) bases clearing home run made it 10-2.

The Raiders would add three more runs in the top of the fifth inning, making the final score 13-2. GRCC received contributions from all nine batters, each recording at least one hit. The Raiders were led offensively by Nick Black who went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's and 1 HR.

GRCC also received a strong performance from their starting pitcher Santiago Mendez (Lansing, MI, Lansing Eastern ('13)). Mendez gave up nine hits, allowing only two runs while walking six and striking out two in five innings to earn the win.

Game 2

The second game proved to be much more competitive between the two teams then the first, with GRCC manufacturing two runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull away by the final score of 8-6.  

The Raiders once again swung their bats with precision, recording twelve hits. Nick Black and Jacob Waters led GRCC, both going 3 for 4 in the game. While third basemen Jim Eloff brought three runners in to score on his bases loaded single in the third inning.

After six innings the two teams were knotted at six runs apiece. After singles by Black and Wes Vaughn (East Grand Rapids, MI, East Grand Rapids (12')), Anthony Villar reached first on an error that allowed the go ahead run to score from second. The Raiders would add an insurance run before ending the inning.

Matt Brown (3-2) got the win for the Raiders. Brown faced five batters striking out four and allowing only one hit in 1.2 innings of work. When the game was in doubt, Brown came through in the clutch, striking out the final three batters of the game.
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