DETROIT, Mich. - The first taste of the GLIAC Tournament was sour for the Davenport baseball team as they were defeated 8-3 by fifth-seeded Grand Valley State. The second-seeded Panthers could not muster any offense against Tate Brawley of the Lakers until the eighth inning and by that time they faced an 8-0 deficit.

The pivotal moment of the game happened in the top of the first. The Lakers had runners on first and second with two outs when Austin LaDoux hit a chopper to short. Anthony DiPonio made the play with his glove but his throw was short and skipped away from Jacob Buchberger at first and all the way to the fence. Nolan Anspaugh scored from second and Jacob Gleason scored from first for a 2-0 lead. Josh C. Smith was then hit by a pitch and Connor Glick singled up the middle as LaDoux crossed the plate for the 3-0 lead.

Grant Wolfram had the tough luck in the first allowing three unearned runs but then started to settle in during the next several innings. He pitched five straight scoreless innings pitching into the eighth inning. The Lakers got a leadoff single by LaDoux and a bunt by Smith was thrown wildly as runners stood on second and third. Glick had another RBI single for a 4-0 lead and then Wolfram was replaced by freshman Evan Maize.

Perhaps it was the stage, but in any event, Maize could not establish the strike zone and he walked all three batters he faced. Alex Mandeville, the nine-hitter in the lineup drew a bases loaded walk for a 5-0 lead. Anspaugh then walked on four pitches for a 6-0 lead. Pete Zeimis relieved Maize and struck out a batter, but Gleason followed with an RBI single to center for a 7-0 lead. Ryan Blake-Jones then reached on a fielder's choice as Mandeville scored for an 8-0 lead.

Brawley allowed just three hits through the first seven innings. The Panthers did not roll over in the bottom of the eighth as they scored three runs. Andrew Figueroa began with an infield single and Nolan Bryant singled with one out. Zac Wilson drew a walk to load the bases and Brian Sobieski lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate the first run. Buchberger tripled to right center for two RBI as Bryant and Wilson scored for an 8-3 score. 

Alex Licata entered the game after Brawley tossed 104 pitches. He retired Austin Petravicius on a comebacker to end the eighth. GVSU went down in order against Sam Traver in the top of the ninth. Licata retired the side in the bottom of the ninth for seal the win for the Lakers.

Grand Valley improved to 28-21 while Davenport is now 30-18. Wolfram took the loss for the first time in his last five starts (6-4). Brawley improved to 7-1 and allowed three runs with five strikeouts. Wolfram fanned eight and walked two while allowing nine hits in seven innings. GVSU had 10 hits while the Panthers collected six hits. Bryant was the only Panthers with more than one hit, going 2-for-4. The Panthers will now face elimination tomorrow (May 11) against sixth-seeded Tiffin. The first pitch will occur at 11 a.m. at The Corner Ballpark in Detroit.