[Grand Rapids] beat[s] up Proctor twice
Grand Rapids Herald-Review, May 14, 1989

The Grand Rapids [baseball team] scored 26 runs and recieved fine pitching from a host of hurlers as they swept a doubleheader from the Proctor Rails Wednesday at Legion Field, Grand Rapids.

[Grand Rapids] won the first game 13-3 and the second 13-1 in five-inning games decided by the 10-run rule. The two wins raise Grand Rapids' season record to 7-0.

Proctor jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the first game as doubles by Eric Kindgren and Kerry Helquist and an error by [Rapids] shortstop Kirk Rubado accounted for the runs. But this proved to be the biggest offensive output for the day by the Rails.

[Rapids] responded with four first-inning runs of their own as Proctor starting pitcher Mike LaLonde experienced control problems. Bill Bishop led off the inning with a single, Kevin Persons sacrificed Bishop to second, and Brad Rassmussen and Troy Cusey walked to load the bases. A Proctor error brought in Bishop, Rubado walked to drive in Rassmussen, Scott Munger hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Cusey, and Greg Ferraro followed with a single to knock in Jace Reed.

Grand Rapids pitcher Cusey settled down after the first inning and allowed only one Proctor run the rest of the way. He finished the game with two walks and no strikeouts.

[Rapids] scored two third-inning runs, one on an error and the other coming in when Rassmussen walked with the bases loaded.

Grand Rapids scored seven times in the fifth inning to end the game off Proctor pitchers Andy Morin and Rick Sornberger. Rassmussen had a two-run single, Reed a run-scoring double, Munger a sacrifice fly and Justin Longtin, hitting for first baseman Barry Perreault, hit a two-run single to end the game.

[Rapids[ experienced their first fielding problems of the year as they committed four errors in the first game.

The second game was all Grand Rapids as they batted through the lineup twice in three of their four at-bats. Reed drove in three runs while Bishop and Rassmussen each drove in two runs for [Rapids].

[Rapids] scored five runs in the first inning of the second game, with Cusey hitting a sacrifice fly, Rebato a run-scoring single, and Perreault and Bishop driving in runs by being walked with the bases loaded. Proctor pitcher Brian Mrozik lasted just two-thirds of an inning before being replaced by LaLonde.

Grand Rapids added five runs in the third inning off LaLonde to take a 10-0 lead. Bishop had a run-scoring single, Rassmussen a two-run single and Reed a two-run double in the ... outburst.

Grand Rapids replaced its starters with reserves in the fourth inning, and they made life miserable for Proctor pitcher Matt Koski.

Longtin, Reed, and Greg Millis drove in runs in the fourth inning as [Rapids] took a 13-0 lead. Proctor scored one run in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to escape the 10-run rule.

Grand Rapids' Dave Winkler was tough in the second game, toiling three innings, giving up no runs, one hit, issuing no walks and striking out four. Jon Rysdam pitched the fourth inning for Rapids, giving up one hit, walking one and striking out one. Mike Skelly pitched the fifth inning, giving up one run on one hit. ...