April 2, 2011

Box Score (Game 1)

Box Score (Game 2) |  Photo Gallery 

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State opened up the home portion of its 2011 schedule in exciting fashion, as the Lakers came from behind in their last at-bat in both games, earning a doubleheader sweep over Northwood on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 2). GVSU notched four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win game one, 8-5, and put 10 runs on the board in the top of the seventh inning in game two to pull out a 13-5 victory over the Timberwolves.

The victories push the Lakers' win streak to four games, as they have won 19 of their last 21 games. Overall, GVSU is now 21-4 on the season and 7-1 in league play. Northwood falls to 9-9 overall and 3-3 in the GLIAC. Grand Valley State ended up with the wins, but Northwood was leading late in both contests. The Laker offense was just too much for the Timberwolves, as GVSU totaled 21 runs and 31 hits in the doubleheader, including its second 10-run inning of the season. Moreover, Grand Valley State's 19 hits in game two are the most since Mar. 15, 2003, when that Laker squad recorded 19 hits in a 17-2 win at Kentucky Wesleyan.

In the opener, GVSU jumped on the board in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer to center field off the bat of sophomore second baseman Kayleigh Bertram. Her fourth homer of the season drove in Jackie Teutsch, who singled to left field to start the inning. Northwood cut the deficit in half in the top of the second inning, but an RBI double from center fielder Nellie Kosola scored right fielder Brittany Taylor (who reached on a walk) to make the score 3-1.

The Timberwolves tied the score in their half of the third inning on an RBI bunt single and a sacrifice fly to knot up the game at 3-3. GVSU then broke the tie in the bottom of the third and made the score 4-3 on an RBI single from first baseman Tonya Calkins. Northwood would score the next two runs - one each in the fifth and sixth innings - and take a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth frame. That is when the Lakers would rally and take control.

Grand Valley State totaled four runs on five hits and a Northwood error in the sixth. Pinch runner Becky Gill scored from second base on an infield single from Kosola to tie the score at 5-5. Sophomore Emily Holt entered as a pinch hitter and delivered the go-ahead RBI single, driving in Briauna Taylor, who singled to left earlier in the inning. Two batters later, sophomore Katie Martin gave the Lakers some breathing room with a two-run single back up the middle, scoring both Kosola and Teutsch, who was re-inserted to run for Holt. At this point, the Lakers led 8-5 and Martin, who was in the circle for GVSU, would close out the Timberwolves in the top of the seventh.

Martin (6-1) earned the victory, giving up two runs on seven hits in four innings of work. She walked two batters and struck out three 'Wolves. Junior Andrea Nicholson started on the mound, giving up three runs on four hits in three innings. Offensively, Kosola was 3-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI, while Martin went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a double. Bertram was 1-for-3 with a homer, scoring twice and driving in two runs, while Teutsch also crossed home plate twice.

In the nightcap, Northwood scored first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning off Laker starter Hannah Santora. The Lakers cut the deficit to 2-1 on Briauna Taylor's second homer of the season - a solo blast to center field. After the Timberwolves took a 3-1 lead with a run in the fourth, GVSU would tie the score 3-3 on a two-run triple to right field from sophomore Emily Jones. The three-bagger drove in sophomore Miranda Cleary (who walked) and pinch runner Maggie Kopas (running for Calkins, who also walked).

Northwood re-gained the lead with a two-out RBI single in the fifth and added another run in the sixth inning to up the score to 5-3. Grand Valley State again was terrific in its final at-bat, as the Lakers would not only take the lead, but open up a decisive advantage by scoring 10 runs with 11 hits in the top of the seventh inning. Briauna Taylor singled to center field, scoring pinch runner and twin sister Brittany Taylor from second base to cut the NU lead to 5-4. Teutsch then dropped down a perfect bunt and beat the throw to first base, but the Timberwolf second baseman then dropped the ball, allowing Briauna Taylor to score and tie the game at 5-5.

Bertram immediately took advantage and followed up with a two-run double to left field, opening up a 7-5 advantage and opening up the flood gates. The Lakers would continue to tack on runs: an RBI-scoring single from Calkins, a two-run homer from Cleary (her 10th of the year), a two-run double from Briauna Taylor, and an infield RBI single from Teutsch, marking her fifth hit of the day. All that damage led to a 13-5 Laker advantage and Santora would not give up a hit in the bottom of the seventh, finishing the win.

Teutsch was tremendous in game two, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, while also totaling a run and an RBI. The sophomore left fielder is the first GVSU player to tally five hits in a game since Mar. 4, 2005. On that day, former Laker Tara Marsh was 5-for-5 in a 5-1 win over Eckerd on the team's spring break trip to Fort Myers, Fla. In an odd twist, both players had one RBI and scored once, both are outfielders (Marsh was a centerfielder), and both wore #4 on their jerseys. Maybe even more astonishing is the fact that all five of Teutsch's hits on Saturday were infield hits, including a pair of bunt singles.

Briauna Taylor was 3-for-4 with a double and a homer, three runs, and four RBI, while Clearly was 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two ribbies. Cleary's 10th homer this season moves her into a tie for fourth place in a single season in GVSU history. Jones was 2-for-5 with a triple, a run, and two RBI, Calkins was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, and Kosola went 2-for-4 and scored once. Bertram drove in two runs and added a double.

Santora (7-2) picked up the win, as she scattered 12 hits and gave up five runs (three earned). She walked three batters and struck out five, while getting eight flyball outs and seven outs on the ground.

The Lakers and Northwood are scheduled to continue their weekend series on Sunday (Apr. 3) in a doubleheader starting at noon.