April 14, 2010

Final Stats

Big Rapids, Mich. - In a GLIAC doubleheader where only three runs were scored on Wednesday (April 14), Grand Valley State came away with a road split at Ferris State. The Lakers captured a 1-0 victory in the opener before falling 2-0 in the nightcap, as there were only 16 hits combined in the two games. GVSU is now 20-12 overall and 8-4 in the GLIAC.

Grand Valley State has split its last three conference doubleheaders, all road contests at Hillsdale, Findlay, and Ferris State. After the split, the Bulldogs are 16-11 overall and 7-4 in league play. It was a battle of strong pitchers all day in Big Rapids, as neither team could get much of a rhythm offensively.

Game one saw the Lakers go hitless into the fourth inning, when they broke through for the game's only run. Freshman Katie Martin singled through the right side of the infield, as Jackie Teutsch pinch ran for Martin. She advanced to second base and three batters later, was driven in on a single up the middle off the bat of sophomore catcher Carli Raisutis for a 1-0 GVSU lead. The Lakers recorded two of their three hits in the frame.

It would be enough run support for Martin, as she pitched one of her best games of the season. Allowing just four hits in seven innings of work, Martin fanned seven batters for her 10th win of the season. She escaped trouble in both the sixth and seventh innings to preserve the victory. In the bottom of the sixth, she allowed a leadoff double, but retire the next three batters on two pop-ups and a strike out. In the seventh, she struck out the leadoff batter and induced a flyball out before giving up back-to-back singles to put the potential winning run on base. The final batter of the game lined out to shortstop, giving the Lakers the one-run win.

Martin, Raisutis, and second baseman Maggie Kerrigan each had a base hit, as there were just seven hits total in the opening game.

In the nightcap, the Laker offense stalled and was able to manage just three base hits - all from a pair of freshmen. Martin went 2-for-3, while Kayleigh Bertram was 1-for-3 at the plate. GVSU's best scoring chance came in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Bertram led off with a single to left field and Martin followed with a similar one-bagger to left. After a flyout, senior Breanne Kronberg walked to load the bases with one out. Teutsch pinch ran and was forced out at home on a play at the plate and Ferris State escaped the jam with a groundball out back to the pitcher.

The Bulldogs tallied single runs in the third and fourth innings, as FSU managed just six base hits in the contest. An infield RBI single in the third frame scored Ferris State's first run, as Stephanie Dusendang crossed the plate on Rachel Wade's base hit. In the fourth, Rachel Mueller singled to third base and moved to second base on the throw, as Delaney Eubank came all the way around from second, making the score, 2-0.

Sophomore righty Andrea Nicholson tossed the first 2.1 innings of the game for GVSU, allowing one run on three hits, while senior Lauren Rohan pitched 4.2 solid innings in relief. Rohan gave up one run on three hits, while striking out a pair of batters. With the loss, Nicholson falls to 8-6 on the year.

Grand Valley State returns to Allendale for a pair of home doubleheaders this weekend. The Lakers take on Ashland at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (April 17), followed by a twinbill against Tiffin at noon on Sunday (April 18).