No. 20 Baseball Drops Pair To No. 24 GVSU To Open Season

OVERVIEW – #24 GRAND VALLEY STATE

SCORES: #24 Grand Valley State Lakers 14, #20 Northwood Timberwolves 2/Grand Valley State 9, Northwood 1

RECORDS: Northwood 0-2, Grand Valley State 2-0

LOCATION: Marion, Ill.

RECAP: No. 20 Northwood baseball opens its 2026 season with a pair of losses to No. 24 Grand Valley State, dropping game one 14-2 before losing game two 9-1 Friday afternoon (February 13).

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS (SEVEN INNINGS)

• The story of the day for both games was fast starts for the Lakers, as GVSU plated four runs in the top of the first inning.
• Northwood threatened but did not score in the first, which was followed by the Lakers plating two more in the top of the second.
• The Timberwolves got on the board in the second on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Manganello that made the score 6-1.
• GVSU put the game away in third inning, using a grand slam to cap a seven-run third inning to go up 13-1.
• Connor McCartan had an RBI single for Northwood to plate Ben DeVries in the bottom of the third.
• GVSU rounded out the scoring int eh fourth with a run to make the final 14-2.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors Northwood: 2/5/3, Grand Valley State: 14/14/0
• Runners Left on Base: Northwood: 9, Grand Valley State: 9
• Winning Pitcher – Owen Avery (1-0): 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 3 K
• Losing Pitcher – Tyler Sager (0-1): 2 1/3 8 H, 8 R (7 ER), 2 BB, 3 K
• Save: JJ Manion (1): 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K

GAME ONE TOP NU PERFORMERS

• McCartan: 2-3, R, RBI
• Brennan Hallman: 2 BB
• Jackson Crittendon: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 4 K

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS (NINE INNINGS)

• The Lakers repeated the first inning from game one in the nightcap, bringing home four runs for the early lead.
• The score remained 4-0 into the fifth inning before GVSU plated three runs.
• GV then added two more in the sixth that gave the Lakers a 9-0 lead.
• Northwood got on the board in the ninth inning thanks to Brendan Hammer. After a double, he stole third and came home on a throwing error by the catcher.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors Northwood: 1/7/3, Grand Valley State: 9/12/2
• Runners Left on Base: Northwood: 5, Grand Valley State: 4
• Winning Pitcher – Collin Bradley (1-0): 5 IP, 4 H, 5 K
• Losing Pitcher – Cody Matuz (0-1): 4 1/3 IP, 8 H, 7 R (6 ER), BB, 3 K
• Save – Duncan McLaughlin (1): 4 IP, 3 H, R (0 ER), 7 K

GAME TWO TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Hammer: 3-4, 2B, SB, R
• Ben Narr: 2-4

UP NEXT

• Northwood and Grand Valley State will play a single game Saturday (February 13). Game time is set for Noon.