May 6, 2011
Box Score
University Center, Mich. -
Just hours after winning a 2-1 nailbiter over Northwood in its opening game of the GLIAC Tournament, Grand Valley State was on the opposite side of a 2-1 final score against #23 Tiffin on Friday afternoon (May 6) in University Center, Mich. Tiffin scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to pull off the one-run win in a great pitcher's duel. The Lakers will meet up with Wayne State at noon on Saturday in Midland, Mich. in an elimination game.
GVSU put together a solid 2-1 win to defeat Northwood earlier on Friday and move on in the winner's bracket of the conference tournament. The Lakers then squared off with Tiffin, who advanced to the game with a 3-0 victory over Hillsdale in its first game. Grand Valley State and Tiffin had already split a doubleheader earlier this season and played its second one-run game, with the Dragons narrowly escaping with the victory.
The pitcher's duel featured GVSU's righthander Andrea Nicholson and Tiffin's lefty Mindy Meredith. Among the two teams, there was as many hits (five) as there were errors (five) with the teams combining for just the three total runs.
Tiffin struck first in the bottom of the first inning after Nicholson retired the first two batters. Amanda Temple singled down the left field line and Tiffany Smith followed with a walk. Meagan Baird lifted a tough flyball to right center field that hit off Laker right fielder Emily Jones' glove and fell to the ground. Temple scored from second base on the error, putting the Dragons ahead, 1-0.
The Lakers did not record their first hit until the fifth inning, which is when the team finally broke through for the game-tying run. GLIAC Freshman of the Year Miranda Cleary walked and sophomore Jackie Teutsch pinch ran for Cleary. Junior catcher Carli Raisutis then reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, putting runners on first and second. Jones, the hero from game one with the game-winning homer, made up for her earlier error with a towering wind-assisted double to right field that fell near the warning track. Teutsch scored from second, but the Lakers were unable to push another run across the plate after loading the bases with two outs.
In the bottom of the inning, Tiffin threatened by putting a runner on third base with two outs, but Jones made a tough running catch to end the threat. Both teams went 1-2-3 for the next inning and a half, bringing Tiffin to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.
Melodi Murrieta reached on a fielding error to start the inning and moved to second on a single by Torrie Terry. The next batter, Stephanie Bobotas, put down an attempted sacrifice bunt, but Cleary (who made the error earlier in the inning) fielded the bunt and made a perfect throw to third base where shortstop Briauna Taylor was covering. The Cleary-to-Taylor play recorded the first out and kept runners at first and second base.
Tiffin went with another sacrifice bunt, as Lauren Mazzuca dropped one in front of home plate. Nicholson fielded it and threw to first base where second baseman Kayleigh Bertram was covering, but Nicholson's throw was just a little too wide for Bertram. The ball sailed into right field and Murrieta came around from second base to score the game-winning run.
Despite the throwing error, Nicholson (18-6) was very strong for the Lakers in the circle for the second time on Friday. She gave up two runs (both were unearned) on four hits in 6.1 innings, walking two batters and striking out five. On the day, Nicholson allowed three unearned runs on eight hits in 13.1 innings on the rubber. She walked three, struck out eight, and had a perfect 0.00 earned run average, while Northwood and Tiffin combined to hit just .160 off of her.
For Tiffin, Meredith (15-3) was just a little better, giving up one run on one hit. She also walked two Lakers and struck out nine.
The Lakers and Wayne State square off on Saturday at noon at Northwood's field, with the winner advancing to play the winner of the Ferris State-Northwood game from the other side of the bracket.
