Box Score - Game One (W, 6-1)
Box Score - Game Two (W, 7-6, 8 innings)
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. - Grand Valley State headed up north for its final four games of the 2012 regular season and the #20 Lakers picked up a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 21) against Lake Superior State. GVSU cruised to a 6-1 victory in game one before coming from behind for a 7-6 extra-inning triumph in the nightcap.
The opener saw Grand Valley State starting pitcher Hannah Santora allow just one run in a complete-game victory. Junior Katie Martin tallied three hits and three RBI, while sophomore Tonya Calkins smashed a two-run homer in the 6-1 win. After trailing 5-2 in game one, GVSU scored five of the final seven runs to clinch the comeback victory. Junior Emily Holt hit a game-tying solo homer in the seventh inning before sophomore Miranda Cleary singled up the middle for the game-winning RBI base hit.
GVSU is now 39-11 overall and 22-8 in conference play, while Lake Superior State is 8-27 on the year and 5-23 in league games. Grand Valley State's 22 conference victories are one shy of the school record of 23 GLIAC wins from last season. GVSU is also looking to clinch the ninth 40-win season in school history.
After Saturday's games, Grand Valley State secured the outright GLIAC North Division championship, but there are three teams fighting for the overall regular season conference title. The Lakers' league record of 22-8 is tied with South Division foe Ashland, as the Eagles face Wayne State (21-9 in the GLIAC) on Tuesday in those teams' season finales.
In game one, GVSU got off to a terrific start, scoring four runs on six hits in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Briauna Taylor reached on a one-out single and scored all the way from first base on a single to center field from Martin. The next batter, junior Emily Jones, doubled to center, scoring Martin for a 2-0 lead. That advantage was doubled as Calkins followed with a two-run home run, putting the visiting Lakers up by a 4-0 count.
Lake Superior State loaded the bases on Santora in the bottom of the first, but she struck out the final batter of the frame to end the threat. In the second stanza, Martin smacked an RBI double, which scored junior Nellie Kosola, who led off the inning with a bunt single.
LSSU would again load the bases in the second inning and pushed across a run on a bases loaded walk. Santora would again get out of trouble, leaving the bases juiced and the score at 5-1.
With the same score in the top of the fifth inning, Martin led off the inning with a solo home run to up the advantage to 6-1. The blast is Martin's ninth of the season and 38th of her career. It is also the seventh consecutive doubleheader in which she has hit a roundtripper.
Santora would settle in and allow just three hits over the last five innings, not allowing another run and preserving the 6-1 victory. In upping her record to 20-3 on the season, she gave up one run on six hits and walked four batters. Santora fanned five LSSU hitters in the win.
Martin had a big game offensively, going 3-for-4 with a single, double, and homer. She scored twice and drove in three runs. Senior catcher Carli Raisutis was 2-for-3, while Kosola went 2-for-4 and scored once. Calkins totaled two RBI with her home run, while Jones and senior Maggie Kerrigan each notched a double.
LSSU, batting first in game two, got off to a quick start by scoring five runs in the first three innings. It was 3-0 in the second inning when GVSU scored a pair of runs. Kosola drove in a run with a groundout, while Taylor notched an RBI single for the Lakers' two runs during the frame.
Lake Superior State responded with two more runs of GVSU starter Kayla Hurd, making the score 5-2. Martin entered the game in the fourth inning and replaced Hurd in the circle, while Grand Valley State started chipping away at the deficit. After Kosola tallied a two-out triple to center field in the bottom of the fourth, Taylor's RBI single brought her in, cutting the score to 5-3.
In the bottom of the fifth - after Martin tossed two hitless innings - Calkins led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Jackie Teutsch. Junior Kayleigh Bertram followed with a two run homer, knotting the game at 5-5. LSSU would add a run in the sixth stanza on an RBI single to regain a 6-5 cushion.
The score was still 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Holt drilled her first home run of the season, a solo blast that led off the inning and tied the score once again. GVSU's next three batters were retired in order, sending the game to extra innings.
Lake Superior State was able to push a runner to third base against Martin in the top of the eighth inning, but she worked her way out of trouble. The first two hitters for Grand Valley State were retired in the bottom of the eighth before Calkins singled to left field. Bertram followed with a single to center, pushing Calkins to second base and setting the stage for Cleary's dramatics. Her single to center field brought in Calkins and gave GVSU an important road sweep. Grand Valley State is now 4-0 on the season in extra innings.
Martin was strong in relief, pitching the final five innings and allowing one run on five hits. She walked one batter and struck out five in moving to 2-0 on the season. At the plate, she was 2-for-4 with her 14th double of the year.
Bertram was 3-for-5 with the homer and two RBI. The Lakers, which notched 15 base hits, also received two hits from Kosola (triple, run, and RBI), Taylor (two RBI), Calkins (one run), and Holt (homer, run, RBI).
The teams will square off again on Sunday with the twinbill starting at 11:00 a.m. It will be the final regular season games for Grand Valley State.
