March 24, 2012

Box Score - Game One (W, 3-1)

Box Score - Game Two (W, 12-6)

Detroit, Mich. - Grand Valley State earned a doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon (Mar. 24) at Wayne State in games of two completely different outcomes. The #18 Lakers won game one in a pitcher's duel by a 3-1 score before outlasting WSU 12-6 in the nightcap. It is GVSU's best start to a season since 2004.

After splitting the GLIAC season-opening twinbill at Tiffin on Friday (Mar. 23), Grand Valley State scored a pair of solid victories over a Wayne State team that is near the top of the conference standings year in and year out. With the victories, GVSU is 20-4 overall and 3-1 in GLIAC play, while the Warriors are 8-14 this year and 0-4 in the league. The Lakers have won eight of their last nine games and are off to their best start since the 2004 team began the season 27-4. That team finished with a 36-8 overall record.

Game one on Saturday was a scoreless tie until the third inning before Wayne State was able to plate a run in the bottom of the frame. Laker starter Andrea Nicholson retired the first two batters of the inning before giving up consecutive singles to Lauren Histed and Nikki Fulton. Logan White then singled up the middle, but Histed was only able to score after a throwing error by the Lakers later in the play. Nicholson got out of the inning with a flyball out to the next batter, but WSU owned a 1-0 cushion.

GVSU left a pair of runners on base in the fourth inning, but looked as if it would tie the score in the fifth frame. Junior Nellie Kosola led off with a double to left field. One batter later, junior Katie Martin singled to right field and Kosola was waved home. Alison Allen, the WSU rightfielder and former GLIAC Player of the Year, threw Kosola out at the plate, keeping the game in Wayne State's favor.

The Lakers would not be deterred, however, as Nicholson kept rolling through the Wayne State lineup and kept it to a one-run game. In the sixth inning, a pair of runners were on base with one out after junior Kayleigh Bertram reached on a fielder's choice and sophomore Tonya Calkins walked. Junior right fielder Emily Jones then delivered a three-run homer to left center field, giving GVSU the 3-1 advantage. It was the first home run of the season for Jones, but could not have come at a better time.

Not only did Nicholson take it from there, she did not allow Wayne State to hit a fair ball out of the infield in the final two innings. She retired the final 12 batters she faced and induced 15 groundball outs in the game. Nicholson moved to 8-3 on the season, as she gave up just four hits and one unearned run in seven innings. While only striking out one batter, Nicholson did not issue a walk. It is the 10th time in 11 starts this season that she has allowed one or zero unearned runs, as Nicholson's ERA now sits at 0.96.

Grand Valley State outhit the Warriors, 9-4. Three Lakers totaled multi-hit contests, as Kosola and Martin were 2-for-4 in the win. Calkins went 2-for-2 with a run scored, while Jones delivered three RBI with her roundtripper. GVSU had all four extra base hits in the game, as Kosola, Calkins, and sophomore Briauna Taylor notched a double.

In game two, the Lakers kept up their offense in the opening frame by scoring a pair of runs before recording an out. Kosola led off the bottom of the first inning with a double down the left field line and Taylor walked. Martin came through with an RBI double to left field, scoring Kosola and pushing Taylor to third base. Both runners moved up a base on a WSU wild pitch, giving the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

Wayne State then exploded for five runs in the third inning by tallying just three hits, as GVSU committed two errors in the inning - both errors came on the same play. Trailing 5-2, the Lakers immediately answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Kosola again started things with a triple to right field. After hustling into third base on her own at-bat, she was able to walk the rest of the way after Taylor followed with a home run to left center field that brought Grand Valley State within a run at 5-4. The blast is Taylor's fifth this season.

With two outs in the third, Calkins and Bertram tallied back-to-back singles and set the table for sophomore Miranda Cleary. A double to right field off the bat of Cleary scored both Becky Gill (pinch running for Calkins) and Bertram to put the Lakers back in the lead at 6-5.

Laker junior Hannah Santora came out in the fourth inning and gave up a leadoff walk to Fulton. She was quickly disposed of, however, as junior catcher Emily Holt threw out Fulton trying to steal second. Santora retired the next two batters and brought the bats back up for Grand Valley State. The Lakers would provide Santora with some breathing room by plating five runs on five hits.

It was Kosola again starting things, as she reached on an infield single. Taylor reached on a bunt single and Martin walked to load the bases for Jones with no outs. The hero of game one, Jones came through again with a two-run double to right field. Two batters later, Bertram singled to right center field, pushing Martin and Jones past home plate. Bertram would also come around to score on Holt's RBI double to left center field for an 11-5 Laker lead.

After Wayne State inched closer with a run in the sixth inning, Holt again delivered a run-scoring single to right center field in the bottom half, as Calkins (who led off the inning with a single) scored the game's final run. Santora went 1-2-3 in the seventh inning to close out the sweep for GVSU in a wild second game.

While the Warriors used three different pitchers, Santora went the distance for the Lakers. She moves to 9-1 on the season by allowing six hits and six runs (three earned) in a complete-game effort. Santora did walk four batters, but struck out one, and forced 12 groundball outs in the win.

The 16-hit Grand Valley State attack was led by Kosola, Bertram, and Holt, as all three players went 3-for-4 at the plate. Kosola scored three runs and notched a single, double, and triple. Bertram drove in two runs and scored twice, while Holt tallied a pair of ribbies. Taylor was 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. Calkins went 2-for-4, while Cleary and Jones each drove in a pair of Lakers, who tallied five doubles, a triple, and a homer.

GVSU closes out its eight-game week on Sunday afternoon (Mar. 25) back in Ohio. The Lakers, who are already 5-1 this week, head to Findlay for a twinbill with the Oilers beginning at noon.