April 12, 2014
Box Score - Game One (W, 13-3) | Box Score - Game Two (W, 5-0)
Allendale, Mich. - Despite rainy and windy conditions, the Grand Valley State offense stayed warm on Saturday (Apr. 12) and helped the Lakers record their fourth consecutive GLIAC doubleheader sweep. GVSU used a 15-hit barrage to top Malone in the opener, 13-3, and the Lakers came up clutch late in game two to earn a 5-0 shutout over the Pioneers.
With the wins, Grand Valley State has rattled off nine straight victories and improve to 20-5 on the season. The Lakers are 9-1 in conference play. During the nine-game win streak, GVSU has outscored its opponents by an incredible 62-8 margin, which includes five pitching shutouts in the nine outings. Malone falls to 10-18-1 on the year and 2-12 in league action.
The Lakers were up 2-0 in game one when they plated four runs in the third inning, with two runs coming on a bases loaded double to left center from senior Brittany Taylor. GVSU's advantage swelled to 8-0 in the fourth when senior Miranda Cleary drilled a two-run home run to center field.
Malone would push three runs across the plate in the top of the fifth inning and the teams would later endure a lengthy weather delay. After the delay, the Lakers finished off the game with some power. In the bottom of the sixth inning, senior Briauna Taylor led off with a single and Cleary again provided a two-run roundtripper - this time to right center for the seventh long ball of the season and the 44th of her career. Cleary is just two home runs from tying former GVSU great Kim Biskup for the second-most homers in school history.
Later in the frame, Brittany Taylor ended things with a three-run blast to center field, which gave the Lakers a mercy rule victory. Both Taylor and Cleary drove in five runs apiece, as Brittany was 3-for-3 at the plate and Cleary went 3-for-4. Nine GVSU players scored a run in the win, while five Lakers recorded multi-hit performances. Tonya Calkins, McKenze Supernaw, and Marianne Deppe were all 2-for-4 in the opener.
The victory went to sophomore Sara Andrasik, who allowed three runs on five hits in 4.2 innings in the circle. She fanned eight Malone batters in moving to 9-3 on the year. Junior Sarah Wyse pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up just one hit and recording a pair of strikeouts.
For the first five innings of game two, there was a pitcher's duel between GVSU's Lauren Gevaart and Malone's Stephanie Byrne. Both teams had just three hits in the first five frames, as Gevaart and Byrne ran into little trouble. After a leadoff single in the second inning, Gevaart notched swinging strikeouts on the next three Malone batters.
The Lakers were able to crack Byrne first, but had to do so with two outs in the sixth inning. That is when Calkins worked a four-pitch walk and was replaced by pinch runner Megan Downey. The freshman did not have much time to prepare, as Supernaw drove the next pitch down the left field line, as the ball hit square on the line. Downey came all the way around to score while Supernaw cruised into second base with the go-ahead RBI double.
Malone put a runner on second base with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but Gevaart struck out the next batter and fielded a comebacker in the circle to get out of the jam. She was rewarded with some insurance runs in the seventh inning.
Freshman Ellie Balbach drilled a leadoff double off the fence in left field and pinch runner Ali Vander Meer later scored on a run-scoring single from rookie Janae Langs. Cleary followed with a two-run single up the middle and Calkins added an RBI single up the middle, as well, to extend the lead to 5-0.
Gevaart struck out two of the three batters she faced in the seventh inning, earning her fourth shutout of the season, all of which have come in her last five outings. She gave up just four hits and a walk while striking out 10 Pioneers. Now 9-0 on the season, Gevaart is 5-0 with an 0.41 earned run average in her last five appearances, totaling 38 strikeouts and just five walks in 34 innings.
Cleary, Supernaw, Balbach, and freshman Jenna Lenza all recorded two hits, with Cleary driving in two more runs for seven ribbies on the day. Both of Balbach's hits were doubles.
The Lakers are scheduled to take on Northwood on Tuesday (Apr. 15) in Midland for a 3:30 p.m. start. GVSU will return to Allendale on Wednesday to face Ashland at 2:00 p.m.
