Box Score - Game One (W, 6-5)
Box Score - Game Two (W, 11-0)
Allendale, Mich. -
In its largest comeback victory of the season, #9 Grand Valley State defeated Findlay 6-5 in game one on Saturday (Apr. 27) on a walk-off homer, then completed the sweep with an 11-0 victory in game two. The Lakers celebrated Senior Day on Saturday, as their eight seniors were honored in between the doubleheader, with the walk-off victory providing an exciting and dramatic finish.
The twinbill was a meeting of two of the top four teams in last week's NCAA Midwest Regional rankings. GVSU is ranked second in the latest rankings, while Findlay was in fourth place. With the victories, Grand Valley State moves to 34-4 overall and 22-2 in the GLIAC, while the Oilers are now 25-13 on the season and 13-11 in league play.
Game one saw Findlay take a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a two-run homer off senior pitcher Hannah Santora. The Lakers were able to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third as a Katie Martin run-scoring single plated Brittany Taylor, who singled earlier in the frame.
In their next at-bat, the Oilers were able to bring two runs across the plate after a GVSU error, upping the score to 4-1. Findlay even extended the advantage to 5-1 on an RBI single in the fifth inning. That would be the final run of the game for the Oilers and when Grand Valley State would mount its comeback.
Leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, junior Briauna Taylor homered to left center field to bring the Lakers within 5-2. Martin followed with a double to left center field and was brought around on a two-run homer from junior Miranda Cleary. The roundtripper from Cleary - her seventh of the year - was a moonshot to dead center field, making the score 5-4.
Santora went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh inning, but Findlay recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the frame. Briauna Taylor then singled to center field with two outs, which brought up Martin. She hit a high popup along the right field line, which fell between two Findlay defenders. Martin raced into second base with a double and Taylor got to third base.
Senior Maggie Kopas, in her first at-bat of the day, hit a liner back up the middle that the Findlay shortstop was able to knock down. There was no throw to first base, as Kopas reached first and Taylor easily scored from third base. Martin, running on contact, rounded third and headed for home but the Oiler shortstop fired to the plate and threw Martin out for the potential game-winning run. That ended the inning, but the Lakers - with three straight two-out hits - had tied the score at 5-5 and forced extra innings.
Santora again worked quickly, sitting down the Oilers in order in the top of the eighth inning. Leading off the bottom of the seventh inning, Cleary crushed one of the first pitches she saw over the fence in left field for the game-ending walk-off home run. The blast was her second of the game and eight of the season. On Apr. 20 in Tiffin, Ohio, Cleary belted her first career walk-off home run in GVSU's 4-3 victory. The Lakers are now 2-0 this season in extra innings, having defeated Cedarville 8-7 on Mar. 8 in Clermont, Fla.
Moving to 18-1 on the season, Santora kept the Lakers in the game and took control late, retiring the final seven batters she faced. She allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits in eight innings in the circle. Santora walked four and struck out four.
Both Briauna Taylor and Martin collected three hits and an RBI, as Taylor belted the home run and scored twice. Martin had a pair of doubles. Cleary went 2-for-4 with two homers and three RBI. GVSU doubled up Findlay in the hits column, 12-6.
The momentum from the end of game one certainly carried over into game two. Briauna Taylor notched a one-out single in the top of the first inning to start things off. Martin followed with a mammoth home run to center field, putting the Lakers ahead 2-0.
Grand Valley State used the same formula in the third inning, as Taylor singled and Martin again followed with a two-run homer. This roundtripper was a blast to left center field, easily clearing the wall for her 15th home run of the season and the 54th of her career. Martin is the GLIAC all-time record holder - in either baseball or softball - with her 54 home runs.
The Lakers weren't done though, as Cleary reached second base on an error by the Findlay center fielder and scored on a double from senior Emily Jones. Junior Tonya Calkins then drove in Jones with a run-scoring single to left center, pushing GVSU out to a 6-0 cushion in the third.
In the fourth inning, Grand Valley State scored on an RBI single from Cleary to make the lead 7-0. GVSU closed out the scoring for the day with a four-run tally in the fifth inning. Senior Emily Holt tallied a run-scoring single, Kopas raced home on a wild pitch, and Briauna Taylor and Martin each drove in a run with RBI singles.
The run support was more than enough for freshman Sara Andrasik. After giving up one late run in the Lakers' 5-1 win over Hillsdale on Friday, Andrasik made sure to get the shutout on Saturday. She allowed just three hits and three walks, striking out five batters. She is now 16-2 on the season and has recorded seven shutouts during her rookie campaign.
Briauna Taylor, Martin, and Jones all notched three base hits, as Jones had the two doubles and Martin knocked the two home runs. Martin drove in five runs and scored twice, while Taylor crossed home plate three times.
Grand Valley State closes out the regular season on Sunday (Apr. 28) when the Lakers host Lake Superior State in a doubleheader beginning at noon.
