May 12, 2007
Box Score
Grand Valley State used its power hitting once again, hitting four home runs in a 14-6 win over Wayne State in the Great Lakes Region Tournament on Saturday evening. GVSU improves to 35-17 overall, while Wayne State ends it season with a 41-17 record. The game marked the sixth time the two teams have played this season and the Lakers have won four of the contests. Grand Valley State will play Ferris State on Sunday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET and the winner will face SIUE at 3:30 p.m. ET in the championship game.
Junior right fielder Sarah Holland started off the game with a home run to right center field to put the Lakers on the scoreboard first. Two batters later, junior designated player Elizabeth Smith hit a shot to right center field to give GVSU a 2-0 lead after a half an inning of play.
Wayne State cut the Laker lead to 2-1, posting a run in the bottom half of the first inning. First baseman Lindsey Perry recorded a lead off walk and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Sarah Kish. An error by sophomore short stop Nichole Woityra put center fielder Sarah Berry on first base and advanced Perry to third. Left fielder Meredith Boxberger singled to center field to bring in the Warrior run.
Both teams went scoreless in the second inning, but Wayne State came back and tied the game at 2-2 as Perry started off the bottom of the third inning with a home run to left center field.
After a scoreless fourth inning, GVSU posted four runs on three hits and two Warrior errors in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore third baseman Becky Rudenga led off the inning with a walk, but then got out as sophomore left fielder Karen Walters reached on a fielder's choice bunt. With two outs, Woityra reached first and moved Walters to second base on an error by short stop Lisa Seymour. Junior second baseman Kristin Moleski walked to load the bases and the runners all moved up on an infield single by Smith. The second and third runs of the inning scored on a single to the short stop by senior first baseman Crista Buresh and a throwing error by Seymour. After starting pitcher Molly Yetman was replaced by Sarah Ytsma, junior center fielder Lisa Preuss singled to left field to drive in the fourth run of the inning.
After three Wayne State ground outs in the bottom of the fifth, the Lakers posted two more runs in the top of the sixth. Rudenga started the inning with a single to right center and moved to second one out later on a single to center field by Holland. The bases were loaded after a single to third base by Woityra and the first run of the inning scored as Moleski reached base on a fielder's choice. Smith drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Wayne State cut the lead to 8-5 as it posted a three run sixth inning. With one out, the Warriors recorded back-to-back singles and one out later right fielder Amanda Van't Wout hit a three run home run to left field.
Grand Valley blew the game open by recording six runs on eight hits in the top of the seventh inning. Junior catcher Katie Kring started off the seventh with a home run to left center field. Rudenga then singled to center field, but got out as Walters reached on a fielder's choice. Walters moved to second on a single to right field by Holland. The bases were loaded as Woityra singled to center field. Ytsma was then pulled out of the game and replaced by pitcher Nicole Abel. Moleski was the first batter she faced and she hit a grand slam to left center field to clear the bases. Smith then singled to left field and Buresh double to right center field. One out later, Kring singled to left field to drive Smith home.
Perry started off the seventh inning with her second home run of the game, but the next two batters popped out and Boxberger struck out looking to end the game.
Junior Stephanie Cole (16-7) picked up the win as she threw the first 5.2 innings for Grand Valley State. She allowed seven hits and five earned runs, while striking out three batters. Sophomore Lori Andjelich pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing a hit, a run and struck out one Warrior.
Yetman (24-5) suffered the loss for the Warriors, giving up five hits, six runs, two earned runs, and struck out five in 4.2 innings of play. Ytsma pitched 1.2 innings and allowed nine hits and six earned runs, while Abel threw the final 0.2 inning, giving up four hits and two runs.
The Lakers tallied 18 hits in the game, while the Warriors had eight hits and three errors. GVSU left nine runners on base and Wayne State stranded four.
Seven different Lakers recorded multiple hits in the game. Junior designated player Elizabeth Smith went 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored. Junior right fielder Sarah Holland was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI, while senior first baseman Crista Buresh went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Sophomore short stop Nichole Woityra posted two hits and two runs scored and junior second baseman Kristin Moleski had one hit, a walk, two runs scored, and five RBI. Junior center fielder Lisa Preuss had two hits and an RBI, while junior catcher Katie Kring was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Sophomore third baseman Becky Rudenga went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while sophomore left fielder Karen Walters recorded a walk and two runs scored.
Grand Valley State is hitting .353 as a team in the Great Lakes Region Tournament. The Lakers posted 27 home runs in the regular season and have tallied 13 in this tournament. GVSU has posted 55 hits in four games, while its opponents have 29. The Lakers have also scored 21 more runs (35-14) than its four opponents.
Grand Valley State will play Ferris State on Sunday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET and the winner will face SIUE at 3:30 p.m. ET in the championship game. The team out of the loser's bracket must defeat SIUE twice in order to claim the Great Lakes Region Tournament title and advance to the National Championships at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio on May 17-21.
