March 11, 2011

Box Score vs. Bloomsburg

Clermont, Fla. - Grand Valley State was close to pulling off its third two-game sweep at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., but had to settle for a split, as the Lakers fell to #24 Bloomsburg, 2-1, before shutting out Belmont Abbey by a 9-0 score in the nightcap. GVSU played well on Friday (Mar. 11), outhitting its opponents by a 19-9 total for the day and tallying its third shutout of the season.

The Lakers met up with Bloomsburg for the second time this week, after the Huskies defeated GVSU, 10-2, on Monday. BU was ranked #8 at the time of that game, but slipped down to #24 in the latest poll. Regardless of the ranking, Grand Valley State (6-3) played the Huskies (7-3) much better than the first meeting of the week.

It was a good old-fashioned pitcher's duel, as the teams combined for just one hit in the first two innings (a two-out double from sophomore Katie Martin for the Lakers in the first frame). GVSU put two runners on in the top of the third as outfielders Jackie Teutsch and Nellie Kosola notched back-to-back one-out singles. However, sophomore Kayleigh Bertram lined out to third base and Kosola was doubled off first base on the sharp liner, ending the Laker threat.

Bertram got some revenge in the bottom of the frame. Bloomsburg put a runner on first as GVSU starter Hannah Santora hit BU's Jenna Hampton with a pitch. The next batter up, outfielder Lacy Mauro, hit a hard line drive to second base that Bertram dove for and caught, then flipped to Laker first baseman Tonya Calkins for the inning-ending double play.

Perhaps in retaliation of two hit Bloomsburg batters, Martin took a hit by pitch leading off the fourth inning and GVSU took advantage. Right fielder Emily Jones sacrificed Martin to second with a bunt and Calkins singled to right center field, scoring Martin, who had a nice slide at home to just beat the throw from the outfield. The Lakers led 1-0 and scored first for the eighth straight game this season.

Santora ran into her only trouble of the day in the bottom half of the inning. Bloomsburg's Sam Pientack walked with one out and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and Santora made her only mistake of the day. The Huskies' Mandi Baer hit a two-run homer to center field that just cleared the fence and put BU ahead, 2-1.

Neither team would do much until Grand Valley State came to the plate in the top of the seventh, still trailing by a run. Junior catcher Carli Raisutis started the inning with a bloop single to center field. Pinch hitter Becky Gill laid down a good sacrifice bunt and Bloomsburg pitcher Cait Paine tried to force Raisutis out at second base, but a poor throw left both Raisutis and Gill safe at first and second base. The Lakers loaded the bases two batters later after a sacrifice bunt and then an infield single from Teutsch to bring up the top of the order.

After a good at-bat in which she fouled off half a dozen pitches, Kosola grounded out to the shortstop, who forced Raisutis out at the plate for the second out. Bertram then flew out to right center field for the final out and the bases still loaded. Grand Valley State outhit Bloomsburg by a 7-4 total, but also left seven batters on base, while the Huskies left four runners on base. Martin went 2-for-2 with GVSU's only run, while Teutsch was 2-for-3 at the plate; they were the only players with more than one hit in the game.

Santora pitched very well on Friday, giving up just two runs on four hits in six innings of work. She walked one batter and struck out three batters in falling to 2-1 on the year. Paine for Bloomsburg was equally as good, as she gave up one run on seven hits without a walk and striking out five.

In game two of the day, the Lakers wasted little time in getting started against Belmont Abbey, as GVSU opened up a 4-0 lead after one inning. Kosola led off with a single up the middle and was pushed all the way around on Martin's fifth homer of the season - a two-run blast to center field. Just a week into her sophomore season, Martin has 14 career homers, tying her with former Laker Lisa Preuss (2005-08) for seventh place all-time in GVSU history.

But the Lakers weren't done yet. Jones singled through the left side and scored easily on Gill's double to left center field. Gill then scored on a single to center from freshman third baseman Miranda Cleary, putting GVSU up 4-0. The run batted in was Cleary's first collegiate RBI.

Martin was cruising on the mound for Grand Valley State, while the Lakers scored twice in the bottom of the third. Gill doubled again, this time to right center field, scoring Jones, who tallied a single to left field earlier in the inning. After a Belmont Abbey pitching change, sophomore shortstop Maggie Kopas lined a single to left field and scored catcher Emily Holt for the 6-0 advantage.

After Martin went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, the Lakers tacked on three more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman Alyssa Sharrard totaled her first college base hit and RBI with a single down the left field line, which scored pinch hitter Maggie Kerrigan. Two batters later, Jones deposited a long ball behind the fence in left field for a two-run homer that scored Sharrard. Freshman pitcher Kayla Hurd would pitch a scoreless inning of relief in the top of the fifth, ending the game by a 9-0 mercy rule.

Jones went 3-for-3 with the home run, two RBI, and three runs scored. Gill was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in, while Cleary went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Offensively, Martin drove in two runs with her homer and moved to 2-1 on the mound by giving up just four hits in four innings of work for the victory.

The Lakers are back in action on Saturday (Mar. 12) for their final games on the spring break trip. Grand Valley State takes on Wilmington at 9:30 a.m. before meeting up with Molloy at 1:30 p.m.