March 2, 2008

Box Score

Ocoee, Fla. - Grand Valley State's offense poured in 17 runs in two games and its pitchers allowed just six hits to pick up two wins on opening day. GVSU pounded out 11 runs to defeat Lake Superior State 11-1 in five innings and then turned around and shut out Assumption 6-0 later in the day. Lori Andjelich pitched a two-hitter in game one and Stephanie Cole gave up just four hits in a shutout in the second game. The Lakers are 2-0 and ranked No. 13 in the nation and will take to the field again tomorrow in a double-header against Winona State beginning at 9 a.m.

Game one lasted only five innings, as Grand Valley State scored early and often. GVSU scored 11 runs on 11 hits with just one error, while Lake Superior State scored one run on two hits with three errors. Andjelich struck out seven batters in the winning effort. Breanne Kronberg went 3-3 at the plate with three runs scored and another two runs batted in.

After shutting down Lake State in the top of the first, GVSU went to work in the bottom half of the inning. Nichole Woityra singled with one out and then Kristin Moleski walked, advancing Woityra to second. Elizabeth Smith doubled to center field, bringing in Woityra and putting GVSU up 1-0. Kronberg then singled to load the bases and then Lisa Preuss brought Moleski home on a fielder's choice. Rebecca Plummer brought in the third and final run of the inning with a single. Andjelich struck out two to end the top of the second inning and the offense went back to work, scoring four more runs.

In the bottom of the second, Woityra doubled in a run to make it 4-0 and then Moleski brought Woityra home a second time with a double of her own. After Moleski advanced to third on a passed ball, Kronberg belted one over the fence, scoring two and upping the Lakers' lead to 7-0. Lake Superior State scored their only run of the game in the top of the third on an error by Andjelich. With one out in the bottom of the third, Karen Walters hit a triple to left field and then scored on when Sarah Holland grounded out to second base, giving GVSU an 8-1 lead. Grand Valley closed out the win by scoring three in the bottom of the fourth inning. Plummer brought in another run to make it 9-1 and then Becky Rudenga closed out the scoring with GVSU's second two-run homerun of the day. Andjelich picked up another strike out and shut down the LSSU offense again, ending the game after the top of the fifth inning with Grand Valley holding an 11-1 lead.

In game two of the double-header, Cole took to the mound against Assumption College. She pitched seven innings, gave up four hits, no runs and struck out six batters. The Lakers scored six runs on 11 hits with two errors in the field, while Assumption scored no runs on four hits and committed one error. Kronberg went 2-3 and scored another run, as well as upping her runs batted in to five on the day.

Neither team could score for the first three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, GVSU finally broke onto the scoreboard. With Moleski on third base, Plummer singled to second base and brought in Moleski for the first run of the day. The Lakers did the rest of their scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring five runs to take a commanding 6-0 lead. After a passed ball put runners on second and third, Moleski walked to load the bases. A Smith single through the right side brought in two runs to make the score 3-0. A Kronberg homer, her second of the day, capped off the game by scoring three and putting GVSU up 6-0, a lead they held on until the game was finished.