Grand Rapids, Mich. -- The Raider's baseball and softball teams finished off a busy week splitting with their respective opponents on the road Saturday afternoon while the Volleyball team enjoyed a day full of matches in their annual Spring Scrimmage. Let's take in deep look at how the Raiders fared.

Softball:

Tuesday, April 2nd vs. Jackson College; The Raiders suffered two one run losses against the first place Jets by scores of 6-5 and 3-2...  In game one, the Raiders had a 3-1 lead after two innings, but the Jets scored would score five runs over the next four innings taking a 6-3 lead. Lead off singles by Mackenzie North and Andi Chipman in the bottom of the sixth led to two more runs making it the 6-5 final as they went down in order in the seventh. The Raiders out hit the Jets 9 to 7, getting two hits a piece from North and sophomore Sierra Stoepker.

In game two, Jackson jumped out to a 3-0 lead on five hits in their first three innings, but the Raiders got one back in the bottom half of the third after two singles from Chipman and Aaron Kietzman.  Brooke Klein and the Raider defense allowed just one more hit the rest of the game and in the bottom of the seventh the Raiders rallied back.  A Jet error allowed Tayler Goorhouse to reach first, but on the next batter, the Jets caught a break. Klein hit a blooper to left, but the Jet's left fielder forced out Goorhouse at second.  After a wild pitch, Kate Stearns ripped a double to center field scoring Klein making it 3-2. The next two Raiders would fly out completing the sweep for the visiting Jets.  Chipman finished with two of the Raiders five hits.

Saturday, April 6th at Muskegon CC; The Raiders offense caught fire in game one winning 16-10 and the Jayhawks took game two 11-3... In game one, the Raiders scored the first two runs of the ball game, but the Jayhawks responded with six in a row over the next three innings.  Madison Marble's second homer of the year started a four run inning in the top of the fourth, tying the game up at 6.  The Raiders scored 10 more runs in the final two innings, including a three run home run by Stoepker and a two run shot by Marble.  Ten different Raiders tallied at least one hit (season high 19 in all), led by Marble, Kietzman and Alexa Abrahamson who all had three hits.

In game two, the Raider offense cooled off just a little bit, only tallying eight hits, while the Jayhawks were hot at the plate with 15 total hits.  The Jayhawks who committed seven errors in game one had zero errors while the Raiders had four in the defeat.  Sophomore catcher Stephanie Kruskie was the only Raider with more than one hit including an RBI double in the fifth while Kietzman had the only two RBI in the game.... The Raiders are now 3-5 in the conference.

Baseball:

Tuesday, April 2nd at Aquinas College JV; The Raiders used 23 different players, including five different pitchers in route to a 13-2 victory. It would be their 10th win in their last 11 games.  Jordan Ball and Brady Paganelli combined for four of the 13 Raider hits.  Josh Nicholson and Jared Bujdos each had two RBI.
Friday, April 5th vs. Lake Michigan College; The Red Hawks shocked the Raiders defeating them both times 4-2 and then 7-0.... In game one, after a sluggish start allowing four runs in the first three innings, Sophomore ace Jacob Wosinski shut down the Red Hawks. He pitched a complete game totaling 11 strikeouts and just one base on balls.  LMC had just two infield singles the final four frames. As for the Raider offense they didn't have a hard time getting on base, striking out just three times, but they finished with 11 runners left on base, including eight in scoring position. Calvin Syrjala finished 3 of 4 with the lone RBI for the Raiders.

In game two, LMC's Hureskin had a superb performance, mowing down nine Raiders while waking none and scattering just four hits. The Raiders Troy Hedges went five innings allowing just one run, but it was the seventh inning that put everything out of reach for the Raiders.  The Red Hawks scored six runs on just two hits, two walks and three hit batters.  Lead off hitter Trevor Patterson led the Raiders with two hits.

Saturday, April 6th at Lake Michigan College; The Raiders came back to win opener 7-5 and fell 11-7 in the final game of series.... In game one, the Red Hawks jumped out to leads of 2-0, 4-1, and 5-4.  It was still a 5-4 ball game until the top of the sixth when the Raiders sent nine men to the plate, scoring three runs to take a 7-5 lead.  They would then get out of a two out LMC rally in the bottom of the sixth as the Red Hawks would score zero and leave the bases loaded.  Sophomore reliever Logan Fleming would pick up his third save of the season with 1.1 innings of shutout baseball.  John Sanocki earned the win, his first in a Raider uniform.

Game two featured home runs by Syrjala (his team leading 6th) and Dakota Phillips (his 2nd) for the Raiders.  The Raiders would lead 5-4 in this one, but in the bottom of the fourth everything that could go wrong did and the Red Hawks ripped off seven unearned runs proving to be the biggest difference in the ball game.  The Raiders got two runs back in the fifth, but they would leave six men on base the rest of the game and end up losing 11-7.  GRCC totaled 12 hits, led by Syrjala's three... and got two each from Bujdos, Phillips and Patterson.  The loss dropped their record to 8-4 in the conference and 11-16 overall.

Volleyball:

The annual Spring Scrimmage took place at Davenport University this year and the Raiders got to play four 50 minute matches against some four year universities; Hope College, Grand Valley State and Cornerstone University.  Coach Will's 2018 team that finished 6th in the nation (winning the conference, the MCCAA and the District) and had a 30-6 record, featured eight very talented freshmen that all hope to play for the Raiders next fall.  Those young ladies were the only ones that participated in the scrimmages and shown many signs of greatness of what's to come next season. 

The soon to be 2019 sophomore class will consist of Setter Jamie Wellet, Libero Katelynn Kietzman, DS/Outside Jasmine Wellet, DS Mykayla Vallad, All-Conference Middle/Right Side Breanna Wickerink, Middle/Right Side Lauren Jonker, Outside/Right Side Emma Pachulski and All-Region Outside Danielle Johnston. 

RAIDER RUN DOWN FOR NEXT WEEK:

Monday, April 8th: Golf at Ancilla College Invite
Tuesday, April 9th: Softball vs. Kalamazoo Valley (3/5pm) and Baseball vs. Aquinas College JV (3pm)
Wednesday, April 10th: Baseball at Cornerstone University JV (3:30pm)
Thursday, April 11th: Softball at Ancilla College (3/5pm)
Friday, April 12th: Softball at Lansing CC (3/5pm), Baseball at Muskegon CC (2/4pm), Golf at Stonehedge Invite in Battle Creek
Saturday, April 13th: Softball at Mid Michigan College (1/3pm), Baseball vs. Muskegon CC (1/3pm)

For all the latest news you can also follow the Raiders on: