CALEDONIA, Mich. - The Panther baseball team was so close to taking the lead late on Friday, as in inches, in a 5-4 loss to Grand Valley State. The Panthers battled back from down 5-1 with three runs in the bottom of the seventh and nearly took the lead in the eighth. With two outs, Christian Petre had an infield single and moved Travis Harvey to second after he reached on a fielder's choice. A balk moved them over a base and then Kamrin Markwardt hit a ball down the left field line and was inches foul. Markwardt grounded out to first after that to end the threat. The Panthers could not get a runner past first in the ninth inning as Nolan Anspaugh singled with two outs but Nolan Bryant hit a foul pop caught by the catcher to end the game.

DU has dropped four straight and now are 16-13 overall and 9-8 in the conference. The Lakers went a game over .500 at 12-11 overall and are now 8-5 in the conference. GVSU scored three times in the first courtesy of a couple bunt singles in the middle of the order. Joe Laudont and Kyle Nott each had a RBI bunt single for the Lakers.

Davenport scored once in the bottom of the first as Carson Eby had a RBI single to center which scored Anspaugh after he reached on a bloop double to right field. Neither team scored in the middle innings after GVSU added a run in the second on a Parker Murdie single to score Carter Smith. Smith went 3-for-3 at the plate and walked in the leadoff spot for GVSU.

Hunter Ruhstorfer got his team back into it in the seventh as he placed a two-run scoring triple into the right center gap to make it 5-3. He then scored on a wild pitch by Jared Skubic who came out of the bullpen. 

James Kohl moved to 4-2 on the mound going 6.2 innings for the Panthers. Kohl allowed eight hits and two earned runs (five total) with one walk and a season-high nine strikeouts. Zach Haefer tossed 1.2 scoreless relief innings. Cal Djuraskovic struck out the only two batters he faced in the ninth. 

Nick Rutkowski got the win for the Lakers going 6.1 innings and allowed six hits and four earned runs. He walked two and struck out one. Skubic went the final 2.2 innings to earn his second save of the season and struck out three.