Mar. 21, 2025, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College's baseball team opened conference play with a pair of gritty victories over Alpena Community College on Friday, winning 5-3 in the first game and shutting out the Lumberjacks 3-0 in the second. 

The softball team continued its hot streak, sweeping Alpena with a dominant 10-0 win in five innings in game one and a high-scoring 15-9 victory in game two.

Baseball Secures Two Hard-Fought Wins  

In Game 1, Alpena struck first with a run in the opening inning, but Joey Hysell quickly answered for the Raiders with an RBI single to tie the game. GRCC added a run in the second off Chad Fisher's RBI single and kept the pressure on with runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Jack Lockwood's RBI double and JT Ten Eyck's RBI single provided key insurance runs.

Alpena mounted a threat in the seventh, putting runners on second and third with one out, but sophomore Ohlen Bond shut the door with back-to-back strikeouts to seal the win and earn his second save of the season. Sophomore Andrew Pohlmann (2-1) picked up the victory, allowing two earned runs while striking out six. The Raiders collected 11 hits, with multi-hit games from Ty Sandwick, Hysell, Peter Heintz, and Andrew Conrad.

Game 2 turned into a pitchers' duel until the bottom of the sixth, when the Raiders finally broke through. Lockwood and Sandwick singled, setting the stage for Hysell's two-run triple that snapped the scoreless tie. Hysell then came home on a wild pitch, giving GRCC a 3-0 lead.

Thano Klett (3-0) was dominant on the mound, throwing a complete-game shutout with six strikeouts, allowing just three hits. Lockwood, Sandwick, and Hysell each had two hits, while Cannon Paul added a double.

With the sweep, GRCC improved to 7-12 overall and 2-0 in conference play.

Softball Keeps Rolling with Offensive Fireworks

The Raiders wasted no time in the opener, scoring three in the first, four in the third, two in the fourth, and one in the fifth to end the game early via the mercy rule. Freshman Kalani Stowe (5-0) was stellar in the circle, tossing her second complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits while striking out six. Offensively, GRCC pounded out 12 hits, led by Stowe, Natalee Beck (three RBIs), and Addison Nemecek, who all had two hits each. Stowe also caused havoc on the basepaths with three steals.

Game 2 saw Alpena strike first with a run in the top of the first, but GRCC quickly responded with three runs in the bottom half. Alpena fought back with a four-run second inning to take a 5-3 lead, but the Raiders answered again. Grace Chisek's RBI double and Maddie Miller's RBI single in the bottom of the second put GRCC back on top, 6-5.

The Raiders kept pouring it on, extending their lead with eight straight runs before Alpena made things interesting with a four-run sixth. Leading just 11-9, Stowe came through again, delivering a clutch three-run triple in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach at 15-9.

Libby VanFleet (4-0) earned the win with nine strikeouts, while Macey Springer secured her second save, pitching the final two innings and allowing just one hit. Stowe led the offense with three hits, while Violet McWhinnie added two. The Raiders finished with 11 hits, marking their eighth straight game with 10 or more hits.

Now 15-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play, GRCC has won eight straight and looks to keep their momentum rolling.

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

  
Interested in supporting GRCC Athletics?  All donations can be done through GRCC Athletic's Scholarship Fund and can specify what scholarship fund the gift is going to, such as the Hofmann scholarship. If you have any questions on how to support Athletics at Grand Rapids Community College, contact the Athletic Department via phone at (616) 234-3883 or email grccathletics@grcc.edu. Any support is appreciated and goes towards assisting our student-athlete scholarship funds.