April 16, 2014
Box Score - Game One (L, 19-6) | Box Score - Game Two (W, 5-3)
Allendale, Mich. - It was a tale of two games for the Grand Valley State softball team on Wednesday afternoon (Apr. 16) in Allendale. The Lakers dropped a 19-6 decision to visiting Ashland in the opener before rallying for four runs in the seventh inning of game two to cap off a 5-3 win in a wild doubleheader.
Two of the top teams in the GLIAC every year, GVSU brought a nine-game win streak into Wednesday's twinbill, while Ashland had won its last five contests. With both teams getting a victory, the Lakers are 21-6 overall and 10-2 in conference play, while AU is 20-11 on the year and 9-5 in league action.
Ashland's offense was on top of its game in the opener, as the Eagles scored in every inning except the fifth. AU was ahead 2-0 after its first at-bat, but the Lakers quickly evened things up on the scoreboard. Freshman Jenna Lenza drew a four-pitch walk and then two batters later, she watched teammate Briauna Taylor hit a mammoth home run to dead center field. Taylor's 31st career tater made the score 2-2.
The Eagles answered with single runs in the second and third frames and built the lead to 6-2 in the fourth. GVSU cut the deficit in half with run-scoring singles from freshman Kelsey Dominguez and Briauna Taylor, which scored sister Brittany Taylor.
It was 8-4 after a pair of Ashland runs in the top of the sixth, but senior Miranda Cleary brought the Lakers a bit closer with a towering two-run home run to left field. The roundtrippper pulled GVSU within two runs at 8-6. It was the 45th career homer for Cleary, putting her just one long ball away from tying former Laker great Kim Biskup for second-most in Laker history.
AU responded with quite a counterpunch, scoring 11 runs on nine hits in the top of the seventh inning, extending its lead to 19-6, which would end up being the final score.
How long has it been since a Grand Valley State team gave up 19 runs in a game? Not only was 24-year head coach Doug Woods not the head coach at the time, but he wasn't even the head athletic trainer - a position he took over in 1976. The Laker program had not given up 19 runs in a game since May 5, 1973 when Calvin topped GVSU in an offensive slugfest, 21-16. In fact, that is the only time in school history the 19-run mark had been exceeded by an opponent.
For the Lakers offensively, Briauna Taylor went 2-for-3 with the homer, scored twice, and drove in three runs. Lenza and fellow freshman Ellie Balbach both notched two hits and scored a run.
Game two was completely the opposite of the opener. Neither team tallied a hit until the third inning, while Ashland did not have a baserunner until the fourth frame. The Eagles finally broke through on GVSU junior Lauren Gevaart in that inning, using an RBI double to take a 1-0 lead.
Grand Valley State still trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, but a huge defensive play kept it at a one-run game. Carly West reached on a one-out single and Kourtney Yarnall doubled down the left field line, looking as if it would score West. However, the relay from left fielder Chelsea Horvath to shortstop Briauna Taylor to catcher Marianne Deppe was perfect and West was out at home on a bang-bang play.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, the very next hitter smacked an RBI single to bring in Yarnall and up the lead to 2-0. But that defensive gem from GVSU kept things close. In the sixth inning, Lenza lined a pitch down the left field line and kept it just inside the foul pole for a solo home run, brining the Lakers within a tally at 2-1. AU responded again with an RBI single in the home half of the sixth inning to take a 3-1 advantage.
The two-run lead would not hold up for the Eagles, as Grand Valley State scored four runs in an unusual seventh inning. Pinch hitter Taylor Fris started things off with a walk, which was followed by an RBI single from pinch hitter Tonya Calkins. Both players were lifted for pinch runners and suddenly GVSU seemed to have an opportunity. On the next pitch, Horvath ripped a single off the Ashland third baseman, loading the bases with nobody out.
Next, freshman Janae Langs hit a groundball to the AU shortstop, who fired home. The throw was in time, but the Eagle catcher could not hold onto the throw, as pinch runner Megan Downey slid in safely and made the score 3-2, still with nobody out. Brittany Taylor then slapped a grounder to the right side, which was enough to bring in pinch runner Ali Vander Meer and tie the game at 3-3.
The next batter, Lenza, blooped a single to right field in between the Ashland right fielder and the retreating second baseman. Horvath scored on the play, giving the Lakers their first lead of the day. After GVSU again loaded the bases, Briauna Taylor was hit by a pitch, bringing in an insurance run for the 5-3 lead. Taylor, the Lakers' career leader in hit by pitches with 18, was plunked in her final two at-bats.
Ashland appeared as if it would rally one final time as the first two Eagles reached base, but Gevaart was able to retire the next three batters on a flyball, an infield popup, and a swinging strikeout to end the ballgame.
Gevaart battled through the AU lineup, scattering 10 hits in the complete game victory. In moving to a perfect 9-0 on the year, she did not walk a batter, struck out five Eagles, and recorded 11 outs in the air. Gevaart tied her season-high with 107 pitches, which she also accomplished in her last outing, a complete game shutout win over Malone last Saturday.
Lenza delivered three of the five GVSU hits in game two, including a pair of RBI, one of which was the game-winner. Calkins and Horvath had the other two hits.
The Lakers will take on Tiffin on Friday afternoon (Apr. 18) in Allendale with a 3:30 p.m. start.
