May 6, 2011

Box Score

University Center, Mich. - Grand Valley State opened the 2011 GLIAC Tournament and won a pitcher's duel over Northwood by a 2-1 score on Friday afternoon (May 6) in University Center, Mich. The Lakers scored single runs in both the second and fourth innings, with Emily Jones' solo homer in the fourth providing the game-winning run. GVSU, the fourth seed in the tournament, will stay in the winner's bracket and are scheduled to face top-seed Tiffin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

With the victory, Grand Valley State moves to 38-12 on the season, while fifth-seeded Northwood drops to 25-19-1 overall. The Lakers' 38 victories are tied for the eighth-most in a single season in school history. Northwood and Hillsdale, which lost 3-0 to Tiffin in the tournament's opening game, will square off at roughly 2:30 p.m.

It was not a high-scoring contest as GVSU, the fifth-highest scoring team in all of Division II, would have liked. However, junior righthander Andrea Nicholson carried the Lakers with a very strong pitching effort. She gave up just one run (it was unearned) on four hits in a complete-game win. Nicholson, who moves to 18-5 on the year, walked one batter and struck out three hitters, including the final batter of the game.

Grand Valley State, which entered the game with the top batting average in all of Division II (.376), recorded its lowest number of hits in a victory this year. The Lakers got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when junior catcher Carli Raisutis led off with a double off the left field wall. She was pushed to third on a sacrifice bunt, but was stuck on third with two outs in the inning. Doug Woods inserted freshman Tonya Calkins (normally the team's starting first baseman, she did not start due to an injury) as a pinch hitter. Calkins singled back up the middle for a run-scoring single and a 1-0 Laker lead.

Northwood immediately answered with a run in the top of the third inning. A GVSU error and consecutive singles loaded the bases for the Timberwolves with just one out in the inning. Rachel Hammer then walked, forcing in a run to tie the score. However, Nicholson got out of trouble with a fielder's choice groundout and a harmless fly ball to center field, leaving the bases juiced.

The Lakers tallied the game's next - and final - run in the fourth. Jones came up with two outs in the frame and deposited a Megan Eddy offering over the fence in left field for a solo blast, her sixth home run of the year.

In the top of the sixth inning, Northwood threatened again with a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt to push pinch runner Erica Jorgensen to second. Stacey Klonowski then grounded to shortstop Briauna Taylor, who looked Jorgensen back and threw to first baseman Maggie Kerrigan. When Jorgensen darted for third base, Kerrigan came off the bag just a second too early, leaving Klonowski safe at first, but getting Jorgensen at third base for the second out. A line drive out to left field by the next batter ended the potential threat.

Nicholson went 1-2-3 in the seventh inning, striking out pinch hitter Natalie Lampman to clinch the win.

With only nine total hits in the game between the two teams, Briauna Taylor's 2-for-3 performance was the only multi-hit effort. Raisutis and Jones were both 1-for-2 with a run scored, while Jones added an RBI. Calkins added the other RBI with her pinch-hit single in the second.

On the lower half of the bracket, being played at Northwood in Midland, Mich., #6 Ferris State upset #3 Saginaw Valley State, 2-1, while #2 Ashland held off #7 Wayne State, 4-2.