March 27, 2011
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
Painesville, Ohio - The third day of Grand Valley State's weekend trip through Ohio ended the same as its first day did, as the Lakers earned a GLIAC sweep over Lake Erie on Sunday (Mar. 27) in Painesville, Ohio. GVSU completed a 5-1 weekend with an 11-6 win over the Storm in the opener and used a pair of Miranda Cleary homers in game two to win, 5-4.
After the successful weekend, Grand Valley State improves to 19-4 on the season and 5-1 in conference play. The Lakers have won 17 of their last 19 games, as they hit .361 over the weekend and averaged exactly eight runs per game. Lake Erie falls to 5-13 on the year and 0-6 in the GLIAC.
In the opener, the Lakers came out ready to hit, as GVSU tied its season-high with 18 base hits. Lake Erie jumped ahead 1-0 on a solo homer in the first inning, but Grand Valley State answered with single runs in the second inning (an RBI single from junior catcher Carli Raisutis scored right fielder Brittany Taylor, who singled to start the inning) and the third (Taylor's run-scoring single drove in left fielder Jackie Teutsch, who started the frame with a bunt single) to make the score 2-1.
The Lakers led 3-2 entering the top of the fifth inning, when GVSU notched three runs to push out to a 6-2 advantage. Sophomore slugger Katie Martin started the inning with a double to right center and junior Maggie Kerrigan was inserted as a pinch runner. Kerrigan moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Tonya Calkins' sacrifice fly to center. Taylor came up next and reached on a bunt single, which was promptly followed by a two-run homer to left center from third baseman Miranda Cleary.
Lake Erie cut the deficit in half with a two-run triple from Brittany Sostre in the bottom of the fifth, making the score 6-4. But Grand Valley State added five markers in the top of the seventh frame to blow the game open. Martin and Brittany Taylor delivered RBI singles, Calkins pushed a run home on a bases loaded walk, and shortstop Briauna Taylor notched a two-run single during the five-hit inning. The Storm scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough, as the Lakers closed with an 11-6 win.
Grand Valley State's offense was terrific, as all nine starters delivered at least one base hit and seven players scored a run. Brittany Taylor led seven different Lakers with two or more hits, as she was 4-for-5 with four singles, three runs scored, a pair of RBI, and a stolen base. Teutsch (two runs scored) Martin, Cleary (two RBI), Raisutis, Briauna Taylor (two RBI), and Kayleigh Bertram (double) all had two hits apiece. GVSU could have done even more damage, as the Lakers left 12 runners on base.
Junior Andrea Nicholson (8-1) picked up the victory by allowing four runs on nine hits in five innings in the circle. She did not walk a batter and struck out three LEC hitters. The Laker defense was perfect behind Nicholson, not committing an error, while the GVSU infield recorded nine groundball outs. Martin was credited with the save in the game, pitching two innings of relief and giving up two runs on three hits. It is her second save of the year.
Game two saw Lake Erie start on top for the second straight game, as the Storm tallied three runs in the first inning on a two-run single from Fayth Atkins and an RBI single off the bat of Haley Rathge. The runs came off GVSU starter Hannah Santora, who settled down after that point. It also helped that the Lakers scored five runs in the second and third inning combined, putting up a 5-3 lead for Santora in the circle.
In the second frame, Cleary drilled a one-out home run to right field for the team's first run of the game. She would not be done in the homer department, however. Briauna Taylor reached two batters later with a bunt single and scored all the way from first base on a double to left field from sophomore catcher Emily Holt to bring the score within 3-2.
Martin walked with two outs in the third inning and was pushed to second base on a Calkins single. Cleary came up and registered her ninth homer of the season, a three-run blast to left center field to give the Lakers a 5-3 lead. Not even a month into her freshman season, Cleary's nine homers are tied for the fifth-most roundtrippers in a single season in GVSU history. Martin hit nine homers last year, as did Kristin Moleski in 2007.
Lake Erie tallied an unearned run in the fifth inning to bring the score to 5-4 and the Storm put runners on first and second base with one out in the top of the seventh, but Santora stayed strong and closed out the frame. She induced a groundball out and struck out Rathge for the final out of the game. Santora moves to 7-2 on the season by allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits. While she did walk five LEC hitters, she registered nine strikeouts and received 10 groundball outs from her defense.
Cleary went 2-for-3 with the two roundtrippers, two runs, and four RBI. It was the first multi-homer game of the season for Cleary, but the fourth time this year that she has hit at least two homers in one day. Her four RBI pushes her season total to 26 ribbies. Calkins also registered two hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
As a team, the Lakers have 33 homers already this season, with Martin (13) and Cleary (nine) leading the way. The unofficial school record is 43 dingers in 2007, while the 33 home runs is the second-highest total since 2000. That year's team also smacked 33 long balls.
Grand Valley State is scheduled to open up the home portion of its schedule next weekend (April 2-3) with four games against Northwood. Saturday's games are slated for a 1:00 p.m. start, while Sunday's twinbill begins at noon.
