March 6, 2009

Final Stats

Clermont, Fla. - After a two-day layoff, Grand Valley State got back in the swing of things by using a dozen base hits to top Lebanon Valley, 8-4, on Friday (Mar. 6). Later in the afternoon, the Lakers fell to Tampa, 1-0, and are 6-4 at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.

In the opening game, freshman Andrea Nicholson (1-1) won the first game of her collegiate career. She scattered 10 hits in seven innings of work, allowing four unearned runs. Nicholson struck out four batters and walked four.

The Lakers battled back from a 2-0 deficit, as Lebanon Valley (4-3) scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. GVSU scored the next eight runs to provide Nicholson with plenty of run support, including three runs apiece in both the third and fifth innings. The first Laker run came courtesy of a bases-loaded walk from third baseman Becky Rudenga. She pushed home catcher Breanne Kronberg, who singled to start the inning.

Grand Valley State tacked on three more runs in its first three batters to start the third frame. Maggie Kerrigan tripled to right center and scored on right fielder Rebecca Plummer's RBI single. Kronberg followed with a two-run homer to give GVSU a 4-2 lead. The Lakers added to their lead with run-scoring singles from shortstop Nichole Woityra, Rudenga, and left fielder Karen Walters in a three-run fifth inning to up the advantage to 7-2.

Meanwhile, Nicholson was in the midst of a five-inning scoreless streak, keeping Grand Valley State on top. Woityra recorded another RBI single in the sixth inning before Lebanon Valley added two runs in the bottom of the seventh to close out the scoring. Nine Lakers totaled base hits, with Kerrigan, Kronberg, and Woityra notching two hits apiece. Woityra and Rudenga each tallied two RBI, while Kronberg scored twice and added a pair of runs batted in.

Game two featured an old-fashioned pitcher's dual between GVSU senior Lori Andjelich and Tampa's Deanna Henriott. The pitchers combined to give up just six base hits and struck out 21 batters in the 14 innings on the mound.

Tampa (9-2) scored the game's only run in the first inning without the use of a base hit. After a leadoff walk and a Laker error, the Spartans pushed their leadoff hitter over to third base and shcored on a passed ball for the lone run of the contest. Neither team recorded a base hit until the fourth inning, when Tampa tallied a one-out double.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Woityra started the frame with a single and Carli Raisutis attempted to push her to second on a bunt. Woityra was thrown out, but Raisutis reached first base. However, Raisutis was stranded on second base, ending the Laker inning. In the bottom of the sixth, leadoff hitter and centerfielder Tina Briggs reached on a one-out bunt single. She stole second, but could not advance any further, putting the best GVSU offensive threat to rest.

Andjelich threw a quality seven innings, allowing just four hits and the one unearned run. She walked four batters and struck out four. Henriott pitched a complete-game two-hitter, walking one and recording 17 strikeouts. No player for either team had more than one base hit in the game.

The Lakers have just one game on Saturday (Mar. 7), squaring off with West Virginia Wesleyan at 11:30 a.m. GVSU finishes off the week with a tripleheader on Sunday (Mar. 8) beginning at 1:00 p.m.