April 28, 2011
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State received some strong pitching and timely hitting on Thursday afternoon (Apr. 28) to complete a doubleheader sweep of visiting Hillsdale in Allendale. The Lakers scored four late runs to win the opening game 8-3 and notched three runs in the top of the ninth inning in game two to capture a 6-3 victory. GVSU now has 37 wins this season, the most since 2003, while the Lakers improve to 4-0 in extra inning games this year.
With the sweep, Grand Valley State is now 37-8 overall and 23-5 in GLIAC play, while Hillsdale drops to 14-26 on the year and 10-15 in the conference. It was a bit of revenge for the Lakers, as Hillsdale split a twinbill on Apr. 13 with GVSU, including a 1-0 win in game two on that day. That is the only time Grand Valley State's potent offense has been shut out this season. On Thursday, however, GVSU pounded out 25 base hits in the twinbill.
The Lakers wasted little time in game one, as shortstop Briauna Taylor singled with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore slugger Katie Martin came to the plate and hit a towering home run to right field for a quick 2-0 advantage. The blast to right field was Martin's 18th homer of the year, briefly giving her the team (and GLIAC) lead and tying her for the most home runs in all of Division II. Hillsdale countered with a solo homer in the second inning before outfielder Brittany Taylor tallied an RBI single in the bottom of the frame. Junior Carli Raisutis scored on that base hit, after she singled to right center earlier in the inning.
With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, freshman Miranda Cleary delivered a solo bomb to left center field, clearing the fences for her 18th home run this season. It is the fifth time this season that Martin and Cleary, tied for the most homers in the country, have homered in the same game. Nursing a 4-1 lead after three innings, junior Andrea Nicholson worked out of trouble in the fourth inning and stranded two Hillsdale runners after the Chargers scored a run in the fifth frame.
The GVSU offense gave Nicholson some breathing room in the sixth inning, when the Lakers scored four times to build an 8-2 advantage. Hillsdale helped out the GVSU cause, however, as Raisutis, sophomore Maggie Kopas, and Brittany Taylor all scored runs in the inning on wild pitches. Taylor was on third base after tripling to left field (her second three-bagger of the day and the first two of her career) , driving in center fielder Nellie Kosola, who earlier tallied an infield single. GVSU scored its four runs on just two hits and a Hillsdale error.
Nicholson would allow a run in the seventh, but pitched very well overall in earning her 17th win of the season. She is now 17-2 after hurling a complete game five-hitter. She allowed three runs, walked a batter, and fanned six Chargers. The Laker defense recorded six flyball outs and nine groundouts behind Nicholson.
Brittany Taylor was 3-for-4 with a pair of triples, a run scored, and two RBI. Kosola was the only other multi-hit Laker, as she was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Seven of the nine GVSU starters recorded a base hit. Martin was 1-for-4 with a run scored and two runs batted in, while Raisutis crossed home plate twice.
Game two did not start well for the Lakers. Hillsdale scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, as the first four Chargers reached base and they received an RBI single, a run-scoring groundout, and a sacrifice fly. The runs were not glamorous, but after one inning of play, Hillsdale led 3-0. For the Chargers, there was more good news, as starting pitcher Laura Homan was the righthander that stymied the Laker offense a few weeks ago in the 1-0 victory and she was in the circle again on Thursday.
To an extent, GVSU figured Homan out, as it collected 15 base hits off of her, but runs were still hard to come by. In the third inning, right fielder Jackie Teutsch reached on an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error. She moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on a two-out RBI bunt single from Briauna Taylor. Martin was up next and hit a soft single into right center field. With two outs, Taylor was running on contact and when the Charger center fielder briefly bobbled the ball, head coach Doug Woods waved Taylor around third base. She ended up scoring on the play all the way from first to cut the deficit down to 3-2 on Martin's RBI base hit.
Martin, who was in the circle for the Lakers, and Homan would match each other for the next few innings before GVSU cracked the Hillsdale righty for the game-tying run in the sixth. With two outs, sophomore Kayleigh Bertram singled through the left side. Woods then made a pair of substitutions that worked out perfectly. Raisutis came in to pinch hit and junior Maggie Kerrigan entered the game to run for Bertram. It worked out very well, as Raisutis promptly doubled to left center field and Kerrigan scored easily from first base, knotting the game at 3-3. Kosola then singled to center field and Raisutis tried to score from second base, but a strong throw from the Hillsdale outfielder nailed Raisutis at the plate.
The Chargers bounced back in the bottom of the sixth, putting two runners on with nobody out. Woods brought in sophomore Hannah Santora to replace Martin and again, the substitutions for GVSU worked. Santora recorded a pair of fielder's choices and struck out a Charger swinging, ending the inning with no damage done.
Both teams totaled base hits in the seventh inning, but neither team scored. The Lakers were scoreless on one hit in the top of the eighth, while Santora worked a perfect 1-2-3 bottom half, including a great diving catch of a short pop-up near the third base line. GVSU would break through in the ninth inning, starting with a walk to Teutsch. Brittany Taylor then reached on a throwing error, which pushed Teutsch to third base. Still with only one out, Briauna Taylor put down a perfect bunt that stopped right in front of home plate. She easily reached first base and loaded the bases for Martin, who entered this week hitting .496, the sixth-best average in Division II.
With the Charger defense playing in and hoping for a forceout at home, Martin lifted a pop-up in the infield. Hillsdale was not ready for it and the wind certainly did not help the visitors, as the ball fell near the cut of the grass behind the shortstop, with Teutsch racing home for the go-ahead run and all four Lakers advancing a base. Hillsdale head coach Jamie Meyers argured that the infield fly rule should have been called, but the call stood and GVSU led, 4-3.
To give Santora a little breathing room in the circle, freshman Tonya Calkins delivered a two-run single straight up the middle, scoring both Taylor girls to up the score to 6-3. Santora was again perfect in the ninth, working another 1-2-3 inning, which featured two catches in right field by Teutsch, the second of which as a nice running play in foul territory.
In recording outs to the final seven hitters she faced, Santora earned the victory and moved to 10-2 on the season. She allowed just one base hit in four terrific innings of relief. Santora struck out two batters and did not issue a walk. Martin also pitched well, giving up three runs on seven hits in five innings, striking out four batters.
Briauna Taylor went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Bertram also went 3-for-5 in the nightcap. Kosola notched her second multi-hit game of the day, going 2-for-4, while Martin was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Calkins drove in two runs with her clutch single, while Teutsch crossed home plate twice.
The games were GVSU's final home games in the regular season, as the Lakers went 14-2 in Allendale this season. To close out the regular season, Grand Valley State travels to face Saginaw Valley State on Friday and Saturday in University Center, Mich. GVSU is ranked second in the latest regional rankings, while the Cardinals are seeded sixth in the Midwest Region.
