April 13, 2011
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
Hillsdale, Mich. - The Grand Valley State pitching staff was on top of its game on Wednesday afternoon (Apr. 13) in Hillsdale, but the Lakers were unable to complete the doubleheader sweep. GVSU tallied seven extra-base hits in a 7-1 opening-game victory, but Hillsdale scored the lone run in a 1-0 game two win over the Lakers. Grand Valley State had its 11-game win streak snapped and returns home with three GLIAC doubleheaders this weekend (Apr. 15-17).
After the twinbill, GVSU is 28-5 overall and 14-2 in conference play. Despite the misstep, the Lakers have still won 26 of their last 29 games after a 2-2 start to the year. Each of Grand Valley State's last three losses were one-run defeats. The team hadn't lost since falling to Ashland, 6-5, on March 26. Hillsdale is now 10-21 on the season and 6-10 in the GLIAC.
GVSU, which broke the program record for home runs in a season during last week's homestand, continues to re-write that section of the record books. The Lakers notched back-to-back homers for the fifth time this season in the top of the third inning. Freshman right fielder Brittany Taylor led off the third with a home run to left field, which was quickly followed by a solo blast from junior catcher Carli Raisutis. Taylor's homer was her third of the season, but also the third straight at-bat in which she homered, as she went deep in her final two at-bats against Lake Superior State on Sunday. The blast from Raisutis was her first of the season and was a shot to left center field that made the score 2-0.
The Lakers upped the lead to 3-0 later in the frame when sophomore Katie Martin doubled to left center, bringing in left fielder Jackie Teutsch, who reached on a fielder's choice. Hillsdale would tally its only run of the game off of Laker starting pitcher Andrea Nicholson in the fourth inning to make the score 3-1, but the GVSU offense would supply Nicholson with four more runs in their next two at-bats.
Sophomores Emily Jones and Kayleigh Bertram tallied consecutive doubles - Jones to right center field, Bertram to left field - to push to a 4-1 lead. After a Martin single moved Bertram to third, freshman Tonya Calkins delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to make the score, 5-1. Calkins would add two more RBI to her total in the top of the sixth inning. Bertram and Martin each recorded two-out singles to right field, putting runners on the corners for Calkins. She knocked a double to center field, easily scoring Bertram and sending Martin home all the way from first base.
Nursing a 7-1 lead, Nicholson would have no problem the rest of the way. She improved to 12-1 on the year by tossing a five-hit complete game victory. Nicholson walked three batters, but struck out seven Chargers in the victory. She has won her last 11 decisions and not suffered a loss since Mar. 7 against Wayne State (Neb.).
Martin notched a game-high three hits, going 3-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI. Calkins was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI, while Bertram scored two runs and went 2-for-5 with a double and a ribbie. Briauna Taylor was 2-for-4 with a two-base hit, while sister Brittany Taylor added a 2-for-4 performance with her solo homer. Jones tallied the Lakers' fifth double, while Raisutis collected the team's second home run of the ballgame.
Game two was a strange contest and not just for the fact that it was the first time GVSU was shut out the entire season and recorded a season-low three hits. Neither team was able to tally an extra-base hit in the nightcap, as all 11 hits were singles.
It took the Chargers four hits in the second inning, but they were able to push the game's only run across the plate. Jennifer Berlet led off with a bloop single, then was moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt. After GVSU recorded the second out, Allison Hetrick and Teresa Patterson beat out infield singles, the second of which drove in Berlet for HC's 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Grand Valley State had runners on first (Briauna Taylor on a single to center) and second (Jones on a fielder's choice) with two outs, but a strikeout ended the minor threat. The Lakers' only other chance to score was in the fifth inning, as Jones reached on an error. Teutsch pinch ran for Jones and moved to third base on a sacrifice and a passed ball, but a pop-up ended the inning and left Teutsch just 60 feet from home plate.
Only Martin, freshman Miranda Cleary, and Briauna Taylor collected hits in game two, as all were 1-for-3. Martin pitched very well in the circle, going all seven innings and allowing one run on eight hits (four coming in the second inning). She did not walk a batter and struck out five. Her record is now 8-2 on the year.
The Lakers return to Allendale for three consecutive days of doubleheaders. GVSU faces Tiffin on Friday (Apr. 15) at 3:30 p.m., Wayne State on Saturday (Apr. 16) at 1:00 p.m., and Findlay on Sunday (Apr. 17) at noon.
