April 11, 2009

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State pulled out a 2-1, 10-inning marathon win in the opening game of a doubleheader against Findlay on Saturday afternoon (April 11). The Lakers' offense then exploded for a 10-0 victory in game two, as GVSU reached the 30-win plateau with the sweep over the Oilers.

With the wins, the Lakers improve to 30-9 overall with a 10-4 record in the GLIAC. Findlay falls to 15-16 overall and 2-14 in league play. GVSU head coach Doug Woods won his 700th career game in the first game on Saturday afternoon against Hillsdale. On Sunday, Woods totaled 30 wins in a season for the 14th time in his 19-year career as Laker head coach.

The opener turned out to be Grand Valley State's longest game of the season at two hours and 25 minutes. After all was said and done, GVSU escaped with a 2-1 victory. The Lakers jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning as junior centerfielder Tina Briggs led off the game with an infield single. Senior shortstop Nichole Woityra advanced Briggs to second on a sacrifice bunt and Briggs moved to third on a wild pitch.

Moments later, junior Breanne Kronberg hit a fly ball to right field that UF outfielder Amanda Mirabella lost in the sun. The ball dropped a few feet from Mirabella, allowing Briggs to score and Kronberg cruised into second base with her 15th double of the season.

Findlay answered back in the top of the second inning, as an RBI double down the right field line from Jaccie Tufts scored Jaci Messmer, who reached on a two-out single to third base that ricocheted off the base for a hit. From that point on, neither team would score until extra innings.

However, the Oilers had a scoring opportunity in the sixth inning. Calli Coppus walked to start the inning and centerfielder Katie Ammons dropped down a bunt. Laker third baseman Becky Rudenga picked up the ball and tried to get Coppus out at second base. Coppus was safe, putting two runners on with nobody out in a 1-1 game.

Rudenga atoned for that play on the next batter. Kara Hochevar hit a shot to third base, which Rudenga fielded cleanly, stepped on third, and threw across the field for a double play. The Lakers escaped the inning without Findlay crossing the plate.

In the top of the seventh, the Oilers threatened again. UF had runners on first and third with one out against Laker pitcher Lori Andjelich. However, the senior ace struck out pinch-hitter Jeanne Hilvers, and retired the next batter on a groundout to shortstop.

GVSU had a great scoring opportunity in the bottom of the ninth inning. A single from Rudenga pushed Lesley Bates over to third base, as Bates was pinch-running for Stephanee Schrader, who walked. With runners on first and third with one out, Karen Walters hit a shot to third base that was snagged by Oiler third baseman Amanda Kern for the second out. Pinch-hitter Becky Gill ended the threat by grounding out.

It appeared that Findlay took the lead in the top of the 10th inning, when the international tiebreaker rule was applied. Kern was placed on second base to start the inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Ammons hit a liner to center field, which Briggs snagged and threw home. Kern slid into the plate and scored what looked to be the go-ahead run. After the play, however, the Lakers appealed that Kern left third base early and did not properly tag up. The umpires agreed, calling Kern out, and ending the inning on a rare double play.

That set the stage in the bottom of the 10th for the Lakers. Woityra singled down the left field line, pushing Briggs over to second base. Kronberg then reached on a fielder's choice, forcing Briggs out a third and leaving GVSU with runners on first and second with two outs. Designated player Carli Raisutis then delivered a blooper into right center field for the game-winning hit, scoring Woityra to give the Lakers a 2-1 win.

Andejlich lasted all 10 innings, allowing just seven hits and one run. She walked four batters and struck out eight in improving to 17-4 on the year. Briggs led all players with three hits, as she went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Kronberg was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a double. Both teams left eight runners on base in the extra-inning affair.

The nightcap featured much more offense from Grand Valley State and nearly no offense from Findlay. GVSU completed all its scoring in two innings, as the Lakers notched six runs in the second inning and four more in the third frame. Schrader led off the top of the second inning with a solo blast to left center field that was gone as soon as it left the bat.

Woityra added a two-run triple to center field, Kronberg notched an RBI single to left, and Raisutis totaled a run-scoring double to right field to up the GVSU lead to 6-0. In Grand Valley State's previous 38 games of the season, the Lakers had only scored nine runs in the second inning. On Saturday, it scored six runs on six hits and blew the game wide open.

Freshman Maggie Kerrigan delivered a two-run single up the middle in between the pitcher's legs to move the score to 8-0 in the third inning. Briggs and Woityra also collected RBI's in the inning, which closed out the scoring.

Junior pitcher Lauren Rohan needed just one of the runs, as she was nearly unhittable. Rohan allowed only one hit in five innings, as she walked one batter and struck out three Oilers. She improves to 8-4 on the season with a 1.64 ERA.

Kerrigan and Woityra were the only Lakers with two hits, as seven different players tallied a base hit and eight GVSU players crossed home plate. Bates and Kerrigan each scored two runs apiece.

Grand Valley State returns to the field on Tuesday (April 14) for a 3:30 p.m. game against West Michigan rival Ferris State.