April 7, 2011

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Box Score (Game 1)

Box Score (Game 2)

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State entered Thursday's doubleheader (Apr. 7) against Northwood as the top-hitting team in all of Division II and the Lakers lived up to that lofty status with a sweep of the visiting Timberwolves. GVSU, which leads the country in batting average and slugging percentage, won game one by an 11-3 score and captured a victory in a 13-10 slugfest in the nightcap.

The Lakers have won six straight games and 21 of their last 23 contests. With the victories on Thursday, Grand Valley State improves to 23-4 overall and 9-1 in GLIAC play. Northwood falls to 10-12 on the year and 4-6 in the conference. GVSU has already eclipsed last season's entire win total, as the team finished with a 22-24 record in 2010. This year, the Lakers are ranked first in the latest Midwest Regional rankings and entered Thursday with a .378 batting average, tops in Division II. That figure only went up after the doubleheader victories.

After a Northwood run crossed the plate in the first inning of game one, GVSU responded with a solo homer off the bat of sophomore slugger Katie Martin. The blast to dead center field was her 14th home run of the year, as she entered the game first in Division II in home runs per game. Northwood would add two more runs in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead, but the Lakers again answered, this time scoring four runs off the NU hurlers.

Freshman Tonya Calkins delivered a run-scoring single, which plated left fielder Jackie Teutsch to draw GVSU within 3-2. Shortstop Briauna Taylor later singled with the bases loaded, scoring Martin, who singled earlier in the frame. That tied the game at 3-3, but a two-run single from junior catcher Carli Raisutis broke the tie and gave Grand Valley State a 5-3 lead it would not relinquish.

GVSU plated four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Calkins recorded another RBI single, which was immediately followed by a run-scoring single from freshman Miranda Cleary. Another run scored on a double to right center from sophomore Emily Jones and Raisutis pushed Cleary home on a sacrifice fly to center field for a 9-3 cushion.

It was more than enough run support for junior righthander Andrea Nicholson. In improving to 9-1 on the year, Nicholson allowed three runs on eight hits, walking one and fanning three batters. She needed to pitch just six innings as the Lakers reached the mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth, as Raisutis ended the game with a double to left field, scoring Briauna Taylor for the game's final run of the 11-3 victory.

Five different Lakers recorded two or more hits, while eight GVSU players crossed home plate at least once. Jones was a perfect 3-for-3 with all three hits being doubles. She scored twice and drove in a run. Calkins also notched a three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Raisutis went 2-for-3 with a double and a game-high four RBI, while Martin was 2-for-4 and scored three runs. Briauna Taylor was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Grand Valley State wasn't done scoring in game two, but it needed the runs to hold off a feisty Northwood squad. The Lakers were up 2-1 in the second inning of game two thanks to an infield RBI single from center fielder Brittany Taylor and a sacrifice fly from sophomore catcher Emily Holt. But Northwood would answer with five runs in the bottom of the inning of GVSU starter Hannah Santora to take an early 6-2 lead.

GVSU would start to chip away, though, as the Lakers would score in each of the final six innings. Cleary went the opposite way - to right center field - for a two-run homer in the top of the third inning to cut the deficit to 6-4. In the fourth, junior Maggie Kerrigan led off with a single to center field and three batters later, she trotted home on Calkins' blast to left field, a two-run jack that tied the game at 6-6.

To start the fifth inning, Briauna Taylor hit a line drive stand-up triple to right center field and scored just a few pitchers later on a single down the left field line from sister Brittany Taylor. The Lakers were on top 7-6, but Northwood added a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame for an 8-7 advantage. GVSU used the long ball again to its advantage in the sixth inning. Calkins singled down the right field line and was replaced by pinch runner Maggie Kopas, who had no problem scoring on Cleary's second homer of the day - a two-run shot to left field that put the Lakers back on top, 9-8.

With runners on first and second and two batters out, Raisutis hit a short grounder that Northwood pitcher Megan Eddy fielded. Eddy's throw to first was wild, hitting Raisutis' helmet and deflecting into foul territory. Brittany Taylor scored all the way from second base on the play, upping the Laker lead to 10-8. Northwood answered again with a run in the bottom of the inning and had the tying run on base before an inning-ending flyball out.

In the seventh inning and GVSU clinging to a 10-9 lead, the Lakers opened up some breathing room for Martin, who was now in the circle. Martin helped herself with a leadoff single and she later scored on Briauna Taylor's RBI single. Later in the frame with the bases loaded, Holt lifted a popup into short right field and the ball popped out of the second baseman's glove for a two-run error, as Briauna Taylor and Jones both scored, pushing Grand Valley State's advantage to 13-9. Northwood would notch a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the frame, but the Laker offense was too much in recording its sixth straight win.

Martin pitched well in relief, moving to 7-1 on the year by tossing 5.1 innings out of the bullpen. She gave up four runs on eight hits and the Laker defense behind her was perfect, fielding 10 groundball outs. At the plate, she was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Cleary went 3-for-4 with two homers, three runs scored, and four RBI. She now has 12 homers on the year, moving into fourth place all-time on GVSU's single season home run list. Cleary is already tied for 10th all-time in Laker career history with her dozen dingers. Combined, Martin and Cleary have 26 homers and the Lakers have hit 40 roundtrippers as a team - the second-most in Grand Valley State history behind 2007's 43 homers.

Both Taylor sisters also recorded three-hit ballgames. Briauna was 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored, while Brittany was 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Calkins added a second multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and two ribbies. Briauna Taylor and Calkins were both 5-of-8 on Thursday, each scoring three times. Jones was 0-for-3 at the plate in game two, but scored twice in that game and four times in the twinbill.

The Lakers return to the field this weekend (Apr. 9-10) for a four-game set with Lake Superior State. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start, while Sunday's twinbill is slated to begin at noon.