May 18, 2013
Box Score
Indianapolis, Ind. - In another classic game, #1 Indianapolis was able to hold off #9 Grand Valley State by a 4-2 score in game two of the NCAA Midwest Super Regional on Saturday afternoon (May 18). The Greyhounds opened a 3-0 lead by the fifth inning and finished the game with a popup, as GVSU had one final scoring chance with the bases loaded. UIndy's win sets up a winner-take-all game three at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Grand Valley State, the region's #2 seed, took game one by a 5-3 score, but Indianapolis (the region and country's #1 team) evened the three-game series with some timely hitting in the middle innings. The Greyhounds are 54-7 on the season, while GVSU is 43-7 overall.
To nobody's surprise, there were a pair of strong pitching efforts - from Grand Valley State senior Hannah Santora (First Team All-GLIAC) and UIndy freshman Morgan Foley (GLVC Freshman of the Year).
Both Indianapolis and Grand Valley State put runners in scoring position in the first inning, but neither team could strike first. Santora struck out Jennifer DeMotte to leave a Greyhound runner stranded at second base and Foley worked around consecutive leadoff singles from Nellie Kosola and Briauna Taylor to retire three straight Lakers.
The Greyhounds were able to score first, as UIndy tallied two runs in the third inning. Indianapolis used three infield singles - including a leadoff bunt single - to load the bases with just one out. DeMotte, the Greyhounds clean-up hitter, walked on a 3-2 pitch for the first run. Alexa Alfaro added a tally with an RBI groundout to put UIndy ahead, 2-0.
In the top of the fifth inning, an RBI double from back-to-back GLVC Player of the Year Casey Williamson scored a run, as Kelsey Rummel led off with a bunt single. Santora was able to keep the damage minimal though, inducing a popup for the third out, as UIndy left runners on second and third base.
GVSU was able to break through in the bottom of the fifth, as Brittany Taylor worked a one-out walk and Kosola followed with an infield single off the glove of Rummel, the UIndy third baseman. Two batters later and with two outs, GLIAC Player of the Year Katie Martin drilled a double high off the fence in center field, just missing out on a game-tying home run. The two-bagger scored both Taylor and Kosola and made the score, 3-2.
Martin's two-base hit gave her 20 doubles on the year, which is the new school single-season record, while the two RBI gives the slugger 79 runs batted in this season. That is also a new school single-season record, surpassing Kim Biskup's 78 ribbies in 1999. The hit was the 295th of Martin's career, moving her into third place all-time in GLIAC history, passing former Ashland slugger Sunny Litteral.
Indianapolis used a similar stretch from the fifth inning to add a run in the seventh stanza. Rummel led off with a single back up the middle and stole second base. She moved to third on a groundout and was able to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of DeMotte.
The Lakers would not go quietly in their final at-bat. Brittany Taylor led off the seventh inning by reaching on a fielding error and moved to second base when sister Briauna Taylor blooped a single to center field. Martin came up and was walked by Foley on four straight pitches - none of which were anywhere near the plate - to load the bases with one out. Foley was able to get a groundout and a foul popout to finish off the game and tie the three-game series at 1-1.
Santora was saddled with the loss, as she moved to 25-3 on the season. She allowed seven hits and four runs in the complete game effort. The senior walked three batters and struck out three Greyhounds. Foley is now 28-4 on the year, as the freshman gave up two runs on eight hits. She also walked three and fanned three hitters.
Kosola and Briauna Taylor both went 3-for-4 for GVSU, totaling six of the Lakers' eight base hits. Martin collected two RBI, while Kosola and Brittany Taylor scored the team's two runs.
