Box Score vs. Assumption (W, 4-1)

Box Score vs. Saint Rose (W, 3-2)

Clermont, Fla. - In the team's first games of the 2012 season on Sunday (Mar. 4), #24 Grand Valley State went a surprising route and won a pair of pitcher's duels to start the year. The top-hitting team in Division II last season in batting average, slugging percentage, home runs, and total bases, the Lakers managed to win both games on opening day, defeating Assumption (4-1) and holding off Saint Rose (3-2) on a sunny and blustery day in Florida.

GVSU's first game on Sunday came against Assumption and the Lakers made sure to jump on the board quickly in the top of the first inning. Junior center fielder Nellie Kosola led off the 2012 season with a bunt single, stole second, and moved to third base on a wild pitch. With two outs, Kosola raced home on a wild pitch that was also ball four to sophomore cleanup hitter Miranda Cleary.

The Lakers struck for another run in the third frame, with Kosola again leading the way. She drove a pitch to left field that got over the head of the Assumption left fielder, as Kosola easily made it to third base for a one-out, stand-up triple. Junior second baseman Kayleigh Bertramfollowed with an RBI double in the gap in left center to put GVSU up 2-0.

Another triple - this time from Cleary, last season's GLIAC Freshman of the Year - plated the third Laker run. She led off the top of the sixth with a three-bagger to right field. Sophomore first baseman Tonya Calkins scored Cleary with a sacrifice fly to center field for a 3-0 Laker lead. Kosola also led off the seventh inning with another bunt single and moved to second on Bertram's sacrifice bunt. Junior designated player Katie Martin, the 2011 Daktronics National Player of the Year, reached on an infield hit, pushing Kosola to third base. She then scored on a sacrifice fly from Cleary for a 4-0 Grand Valley State advantage.

Four runs were plenty for GVSU starting righthander Andrea Nicholson. She did allow a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, which ended her possible shutout, but the run was unearned and was the only time Assumption could mount a serious threat against the Lakers' ace. Nicholson enticed a game-ending double play, as shortstop Maggie Kopascleanly fielded a line drive and tossed it to Bertram at second base to pick off a runner and finish the ballgame. She was terrific in moving to 1-0 (after a 20-8 season in 2011), allowing just one unearned run on five hits in a complete-game victory. Nicholson walked one batter and struck out three.

Leading the way offensively was Kosola, who went 3-for-4 with a triple and scored three of the four GVSU runs. Cleary (triple), Bertram (double), and junior Emily Jones(double) each had one extra-base hit, as no other Laker aside from Kosola had more than one hit.

Game two for Grand Valley State was also a low-scoring affair, but the Lakers pushed three runs across the plate in the bottom of the second inning against Saint Rose. Calkins laced a one-out single to left field, moved to second on a passed ball and to third base on a groundout. Jones then ripped a single up the middle for a run-scoring base hit that put GVSU up 1-0.

The next batter was sophomore shortstop Briauna Taylor, who earlier in the week was named to the All-GLIAC First Team after her efforts for the Laker basketball team. Taylor's first swing of the year was a good one, as she smashed a two-run homer to left field, scoring herself and Jones for a 3-0 advantage. It was the first home run of the season for GVSU, as the Lakers hit a Division II-best 76 roundtrippers in 2011, which set a new school and GLIAC record.

That would be the only run support the Lakers could offer for junior righty Hannah Santora, who was tremendous in the circle. She did not allow a hit until the top of the fourth inning, when an RBI double from Jessica Butterbrodt scored Olivia Reeves, who reached on a one-out walk. Santora retired the next seven batters before a leadoff single for Saint Rose started the seventh inning. That runner would eventually score and the tying run reached first after a Laker error, but Santora forced a groundball for the game's final out.

While Grand Valley State totaled just four hits, Santora gave up just two base hits and one of the two runs was unearned. She moved to 1-0 on the year, walking three batters, and striking out four Saint Rose hitters. Four Lakers each had one hit apiece, as Kosola, Calkins, Jones, and Taylor each recorded a base knock.

GVSU takes its 2-0 record into play on Monday (Mar 4), when the Lakers face Northern State at 9:00 a.m. and Urbana at 11:00 a.m.