April 24, 2010

Box Score

Detroit, Mich. - Wayne State used a dominating pitching effort to defeat Grand Valley State in a GLIAC twinbill in Detroit on Saturday afternoon (April 24). The Lakers played right along with WSU in both games, but fell to the #9 Warriors by a 3-0 score in game one and dropped a 1-0 contest in extra innings in the nightcap.

GVSU falls to 22-20 on the year with a 10-12 record in the GLIAC, as the Lakers have dropped five straight games. The schedule has not been easy on Grand Valley State, as the team's last six doubleheaders have all been against teams ranked regionally in the top-10. Wayne State has been nationally ranked the entire season and are the top team in the region, as the Warriors improve to 42-9 with a 16-4 mark in conference play.

In the opener, WSU tallied a run in the first inning off of Laker starter Lauren Rohan, as the Warriors used an RBI single up the middle to take a 1-0 lead. Wayne State would add two runs in the bottom of the third on a run-scoring single and an RBI double to close out the game's scoring at 3-0. GVSU managed three base hits off of Wayne State starter Casey Hanes, one of the top pitchers in the country. The Lakers totaled leadoff singles in the first inning from Nellie Kosola and Lesley Bates in the third, but could not push either runner past home plate.

Sophomore Carli Raisutis continued her recent strong hitting streak by notching a two-out double in the fourth inning, but was stranded at second base. For WSU, Hanes improves to 33-4 as she struck out three batters during the game. Rohan takes the loss, as she falls to 4-7 on the season. In 2.2 innings, she allowed three runs on six hits. Sophomore Andrea Nicholson pitched in relief, allowing just one base hit in 2.1 innings of work. Sophomore Becky Gill pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth in relief of Nicholson.

Game two saw a pitcher's duel between Nicholson and a pair of Wayne State hurlers. The Warriors would tally a base hit and leave a runner on base in every inning except the fifth frame, but Nicholson and the Laker defense did their part by stranding 14 WSU baserunners. GVSU had a few chances to score, including the bottom of the first when freshmen Kayleigh Bertram and Katie Martin were on first and second with one out. Wayne State's Nicole Abel, however, forced a pair of pop-ups to get out of the inning without allowing a run.

Martin walked with two outs in the third inning and Breanne Kronberg reached on a dropped flyball by the centerfielder to put two runners on base before Raisutis popped out to end the frame. In the sixth inning, Martin doubled to right center to lead off the inning against Hanes, who relieved Abel. However, she was stranded at second base as Hanes buckled down and retired the next three batters.

In the top of the eighth inning, Wayne State used a two-out single up the middle to drive home the runner from second base for the game's only run. Kronberg singled to left field with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Hanes retired Raisutis on a strikeout to end the game.

Nicholson (8-7) pitched all eight innings and while she gave up 11 base hits, she allowed just the one run. She walked three batters and struck out three Warriors, while recording 13 groundball outs. Hanes improves to 34-4 as she picked up the win in relief of Abel. The duo combined to give up six hits in eight innings, recording nine strikeouts.

Leading the Lakers offense was Martin, who went for 2-for-3, as Bates, Bertram, and Raisutis all tallied base hits in game two.

Grand Valley State plays its road regular season finale tomorrow in University Center, Mich. against Saginaw Valley State. The twinbill is set to begin at 12:00 p.m.