Tiffin University baseball (7-6) dropped its third straight game, losing 9-3 against Grand Valley State in a critical regional matchup.
Adam Deitschel scored on an RBI single by Brayden Clark in the top of the first to give Tiffin an early 1-0 lead and the Lakers immediately answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, and scored six unanswered.
GVSU scored one in the third, three in the fourth, and one in the fifth to take a 6-1 lead going into the seventh inning.
The Dragons loaded the bases with one out in the seventh but could only manage one run when Clark was hit by a pitch which scored Julian Hernandez. Prior to Clark's at bat, Andrew Fairbrother flied out and Griff Cady struck out to end the inning.
The Lakers scored two in their home half of the second and both teams scored one run in the eighth. The Dragons' run came on a double by Hernandez and Hilario DeLaPaz scored on an error.
In the ninth, Clark walked with one out and Cady grounded into a game-ending double play.
Deitschel and Hernandez both recorded two hits and Clark had 2 RBIs.
Johnathon Ray (1-1) got the start and took the loss, pitching 4.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) with four walks and three strikeouts. Brandon Swope pitched 1.2 innings and allowed one run on one hit with one walk. Brett Nicodemus pitched the final 2.0 innings and allowed two runs on two hits with one walk with one walk and one strikeout.
