March 8, 2010

Final Stats

Clermont, Fla. - Grand Valley State earned a split in its two games on Monday (Mar. 8) at the Rebel Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., as the Lakers knocked off #9 Kutztown by a 3-2 margin in their first game and fell to West Chester by the same 3-2 score in game two. GVSU is 5-4 in its first four days and has the next two days off before playing again on Thursday (Mar. 11).

The Lakers received a strong pitching performance from sophomore Andrea Nicholson against Kutztown (10-7), as all five runs for the two teams were scored in the third inning. KU's Michelle McGinty doubled down the left field line to drive in the game's first two runs, but Grand Valley State rallied back and put up three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.

Freshman Maggie Kopas led off the frame with a single to left field and senior Tina Briggs then reached on an error, pushing Kopas to third base. An RBI single from freshman Kayleigh Betram drove in Kopas, with Briggs moving to second. Briggs was then forced out at third base on the next play, as freshman Katie Martin reached on an error by the left fielder, who threw Briggs out at third. However, the Lakers would not waste the scoring opportunity, as sophomore catcher Carli Raisutis tripled to right field, driving in both Bertram and Martin for a 3-2 GVSU advantage.

Nicholson only allowed one batter past second base the rest of the game, getting out of a one-out jam with runners on second and third, as she enticed a pop-up and ground out to end the fifth inning. She scattered eight hits over seven innings of work, walking one and striking out six batters for her first win of the season. Grand Valley State tallied the win with just four base hits, as freshman center fielder Nellie Kosola had the team's other hit - an infield single in the fifth inning.

GVSU then fell behind West Chester 1-0 after the first frame by tying the score on a run-scoring single from Kosola, which drove in senior Stephanee Schrader, who reached on a leadoff double to start the second inning. West Chester (8-2) responded by tacking on a pair of runs off of Martin in the bottom of the second to re-gain a 3-1 lead.

In the top of the third inning, Martin brought her team one run closer by leading off the frame with a solo homer to center field for her third roundtripper of the season to make the score, 3-2. However, the Lakers could manage just one hit the rest of the game - a two-out single from Bertram in the seventh inning - as West Chester would shut down the GVSU offense.

Martin suffered the first loss of her college career, giving up three runs on six hits, while walking one and striking out five. She is now 3-1 on the season with a 0.98 earned run average. She was the only Laker with more than one hit, as she was 2-for-3. Kopas had GVSU's other base hit - a single in the second inning.

Grand Valley State will hit the field again on Thursday (Mar. 11), when it takes on Assumption at 9:30 a.m. and West Chester at 1:30 p.m.