East Lansing took a 11-run defeat the last time they faced off against Portland, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Trojans came out on top in a nail-biter against the Raiders on Thursday, sneaking past 6-5. For the Trojans, this counts as revenge for the 15-4 victory the Raiders walked away with the last time they faced one another back in May of 2018.
Paul Van Dam
| 04/19/25 vs St. Joseph | 5 |
| 04/14/25 @ Grand Ledge | 3 |
| 04/28/25 @ DeWitt | 2 |
| 05/08/25 vs Portland | 1 |
Paul Van Dam made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. He is becoming a predictor of East Lansing's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 2-1 (and 3-10 when he doesn't). Van Dam was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Austin Garcia looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
Van Dam wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Gerrit Garcia, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Owen Fortman was another, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
East Lansing's win bumped their record up to 5-11. As for Portland, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-5.
Coming up, East Lansing will challenge Mason at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Bulldogs will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something the Trojans surely won't give up without a fight. As for Portland, they will head out to challenge Haslett at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
