March 4, 2023, MARIANNA, Fla. - The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team opened the season with a 9-2 victory over Coastal Alabama Community College - South before losing 5-4 to Wallace Community College-Dothan in the nightcap
The team kicked off a week of games against tough competition in Florida.
In game one, GRCC ace and 2022 All-American Jerad Berkenpas threw a five-strikeout, zero-walk complete game.
GRCC had 11 hits, led by Zacarias Salinas, who was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, including his first home run. Fernando Rivera-Calederon and Xander Reisbig also went yard and each had two hits.
In the nightcap, GRCC led 3-1, but Wallace-Dothan used a four-run second inning to take a 5-3 lead and held on for the one-run victory.
Joe Hoeks and two RBI, Trevin Lamin and Dylan Chargo had the other two RBI for the Raiders. Chargo and Hoeks had two of the team's eight hits.
Kellan Smith pitched four shutout innings in relief, giving up no hits while striking out six.
GRCC will play again on Sunday, facing Chipola College in a double header starting at 2 p.m.
This story was reported by Ben Brown.