Box Score vs. Ferris State (L, 4-3)
Box Score vs. Tiffin (W, 10-0, 5 innings)
Findlay, Ohio -
In a wild opening day of the GLIAC Tournament, #20 Grand Valley State played three games and advanced to Saturday's round of games thanks to a 10-0 mercy rule win over Tiffin. The Lakers were forced into an elimination game on Friday night (Apr. 27) after dropping a 4-3 final to Ferris State earlier in the afternoon.
GVSU's opening game on Friday morning was a 5-1 win over Northwood in a contest that started at 10:00 a.m. The team's second game - the 4-3 loss to Ferris State on a late three-run homer from the Bulldogs - did not begin until 5:40 p.m. (originally scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start) because games were running behind schedule. Due to the loss to FSU, Grand Valley State had a half hour break before facing Tiffin in an elimination game, one that was moved from Saturday morning due to potential weather issues. So the Lakers, playing their third game of the day and one that started at 8:00 p.m. - 10 hours after the start of their first game of the tournament - earned a 10-0, five-inning victory over Tiffin.
Grand Valley State and Northwood will meet in a re-match of their first tournament contest in a game scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. That game will be another elimination battle, with the winning team staying alive and the losing team going home. The winners' bracket features Wayne State and Ferris State also starting at 10:00 a.m. Both WSU and FSU went 2-0 on the opening day of play.
The game between GVSU and Ferris State was scoreless through the first few innings until the Lakers broke through for a run in the third inning. Junior centerfielder Nellie Kosola led off the third with a deep triple to left center. She immediately scored after sophomore Briauna Taylor ripped a shot to left center for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead.
Junior pitcher Hannah Santora cruised through the opening four innings, not allowing a hit and only issuing a harmless two-out walk in the first frame. Ferris State's Lainee Clay opened the fifth inning with a double down the right field line for the team's first hit of the day, but Santora retired the next three batters in order, with Clay never moving from second base. In the opening game of the day against Northwood, Santora took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before tossing a three-hit gem.
The Lakers added another run in the bottom of the fifth, as it was Taylor this time leading off with a stand-up triple to right center. Junior Katie Martin brought Taylor in with a sacrifice fly to right field, upping the advantage to 2-0.
FSU finally pushed a run across in the sixth inning on an RBI groundout from Chelsea Morris, but Santora got out of a jam (two runners in scoring position with two outs) by forcing another groundout to end the threat. GVSU took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth when the Lakers would add a key insurance run.
Senior Maggie Kerrigan led off with a single to center field and moved to second on a Kosola sacrifice bunt. Taylor reached on an infield single, with Kerrigan moving to third base. Martin again came through with a second consecutive sacrifice fly, scoring Kerrigan from third to give Santora a 3-1 cushion.
In the top of the seventh, however, Ferris State's first two batters (Lindsey Pettit and Stephanie Dusendang reached on back-to-back singles. Santora exited the game, while Martin entered in the circle for the Lakers. Two batters later, Michelle Tononi drilled a three-run homer to center field to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
Junior Maggie Kopas pinch hit with one out and delivered a sharp single to right field. Sophomore Miranda Cleary then attempted a sacrifice bunt, but actually reached first base after the Bulldog third baseman made a high throw to first for an error. Meanwhile, Kopas raced all the way to third base on the play, putting runners on the corners with one out. Up came junior Emily Holt, who hit a groundball to second base. Clay, the FSU second baseman, made a heads-up play by tagging Cleary for the second out and completing the game-ending double play with a throw to first base for the third out.
Santora's final statline was three runs on five hits in six innings of work. She walked just one Bulldog and struck out four batters. Martin took her first loss of the season (3-1) by allowing one run on one hit in an inning of work.
Offensively, Taylor was a perfect 4-for-4, with a single and three triples. She drove in a run and scored once. The four hits tie her career-high, as she recorded four base knocks on May 7, 2011 against Wayne State - also in the GLIAC Tournament. Martin was 0-for-2 at the plate, but she drove in a pair of runs with the two sacrifice flies.
The loss brought GVSU back right away for another game, but the Lakers responded very well. In the bottom of the first inning, Grand Valley State plated four runs on five hits. Kosola led off with a bunt single, which was followed by a single to left field from Taylor. Martin continued the hit brigade with a single to right field to load the bases with no outs.
At that point, Tiffin pulled starting pitcher Torrie Terry in favor of Amber Young. She was immediately welcomed by an RBI single up the middle from sophomore Tonya Calkins for the first run of the game. Junior Kayleigh Bertram then notched a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, Cleary singled back up the middle for a 3-0 advantage and senior Carli Raisutis upped the cushion to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly.
Martin started in the circle in game two and after keeping Tiffin off the board in the top of the second inning, she received three more runs of support in the bottom of the frame. After Kosola reached on a leadoff walk, Taylor drilled a mammoth two-run home run off the top of the scoreboard in left center field for a 6-0 lead. It was her sixth consecutive hit over the last two games. The next run came through after Martin doubled high off the fence in right center and Calkins smacked another RBI single up the middle for the 7-0 advantage.
Tiffin tallied a hit in both the third and fourth innings, but Martin stranded Dragon runners on base both times, keeping the lead at seven runs. She would be rewarded with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, starting things off herself with a double to right center field. She scored after Calkins also doubled to right center. Later in the inning, Cleary came through with another RBI single up the middle and Raisutis closed the scoring by driving in a run and reaching on a Tiffin error.
The Lakers finished with 10 runs on 11 hits, holding the Dragons to just four base hits, all of which were singles. Calkins went 3-for-3 with a double, a run, and three RBI. Taylor was 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two runs driven in. Her three-game total on Friday was 8-for-11 with five runs, a triple, two homers, and five RBI. Cleary went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI, while Raisutis was officially 0-for-1, but also drove in two runs.
Martin was strong in the circle and at the plate. She went 3-for-3 offensively with two doubles and scored three times. Improving her record to 4-1 on the year, Martin allowed just four hits in the five-inning shutout. She did not tally a strikeout, but also walked just one batter.
If GVSU defeats Northwood at 10:00 a.m., the Lakers will face the loser of the Wayne State-Ferris State game in another elimination contest at noon on Saturday. Sunday's championship game is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m.
