April 18, 2014
Box Score - Game One (W, 6-3) | Box Score - Game Two (W, 3-1, 10 innings)
Photo Gallery 
Allendale, Mich. - It took 17 innings and over four hours of competition, but the Grand Valley State softball team swept its fifth conference doubleheader of the season on Friday (Apr. 18), taking down Tiffin in Allendale. The Lakers used a four-run fifth inning to win the opener, 6-3, and scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning to capture game two, 3-1.
GVSU, which is now in sole possession of first place in the GLIAC standings, moves to 23-6 overall and 12-2 in league play. The Lakers have swept five conference twinbills and split the other two doubleheaders. Tiffin came into Friday's contests on a four-game win streak, but the Dragons drop to 20-15 on the season and 7-9 in GLIAC action.
Pitching was again a huge factor for Grand Valley State, as sophomore Sara Andrasik and junior Lauren Gevaart tossed complete game victories. The duo combined to pitch 17 innings and allow 17 hits, with only four runs scoring and only two of those were earned. Perhaps more importantly, Andrasik and Gevaart together walked just one batter and struck out 10 Dragons.
Tiffin was able to get to Andrasik in its first at-bat, as Kristin Prokopakis walked and later scored on a double to left center from Jena King. Andrasik, however, would keep TU off the board for the next five innings.
The Lakers tied the score in the third. Senior Brittany Taylor notched a one-out single and moved to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, head coach Doug Woods inserted pinch hitter Ellie Balbach into the game and the freshman delivered a single down the right field line, easily scoring Taylor to knot the game at 1-1.
GVSU was able to bust the game open in the fifth inning thanks to a pair of clutch two-out hits. With the bases loaded, senior Tonya Calkins ripped a single up the middle and into centerfield, scoring both Jenna Lenza (reached on an error) and Briauna Taylor (single). The next batter, sophomore McKenze Supernaw, drilled a double over the head of the Tiffin right fielder, bringing in two more runs and giving the Lakers a 5-1 advantage.
That was enough run support for Andrasik, who allowed three runs (one earned) on hits in the complete game win. She walked one and struck out four to improve to 10-4 this season. Andrasik also benefitted from a nifty 5-4-3 around-the-horn double play turned from senior Miranda Cleary to Lenza to Calkins in the sixth inning.
Supernaw (two RBI) and Brittany Taylor (two runs) both went 2-for-3 in the win, with Supernaw's two-bagger being the lone extra base hit for GVSU. Calkins also provided a pair of ribbies.
Game two was a classic pitcher's duel between the Gevaart and Tiffin's duo of Madison Yanek and Taylor Spang. Gevaart has been part of these low-scoring affairs already this season, as she has a pair of 1-0 victories on her resume. However, Friday's effort was certainly one of her finest outings.
Through the first four innings, Tiffin had managed three hits, while the Lakers had just one base knock. Grand Valley State loaded the bases up in the top of the fifth inning with one out, but Balbach hit a sharp liner to the Dragon shortstop, who made the catch and fired to first for the inning-ending (and rally-ending) double play.
GVSU finally pushed a run across in the top of the seventh. Freshman Kelsey Dominguez singled with one out and was still on first base with two outs. Brittany Taylor then smoked a first-pitch double to the wall in right center, with Dominguez coming all the way around to score the game's first run.
Tiffin responded in a major way in its potential final at-bat. With one out, Yanek (the game's starting pitcher, now playing third base) hit a ball deep to left field and it barely made it over the fence for a game-tying solo homer. Moreover, the Dragons then put runners on second and third base with two outs, but Gevaart dug down and struck out Kaitlin Gruenewald to end the threat.
Neither team was able to score in the eighth inning and both teams went 1-2-3 in the ninth. The international tiebreaker rule was in effect in the 10th, with Brittany Taylor (the final out of the previous inning) automatically placed on second base to start the frame. She moved to third on a flyball and then raced home moments later on a wild pitch to give the Lakers a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Cleary singled up the middle to bring in Chelsea Horvath, pinch running for Balbach, who was hit by a pitch.
Gevaart came out strong - and despite Tiffin also having a runner place on second base to start the inning - and went 1-2-3 to earn the tough victory. The junior improved to 10-0 by allowing one run on nine hits. She did not walk a Dragon batter and fanned six, but also received 17 flyball outs. Gevaart, who retired the leadoff batter in all 10 innings, threw 105 of her career-high 134 pitches for strikes.
The 10-inning affair was the longest game for Grand Valley State since the team fell to Wayne State in the GLIAC Tournament by a 10-6 score on May 7, 2011. Gevaart's 10 innings in the circle are the most by a Laker pitcher since former slugger Katie Martin tossed 11 frames in a 5-4 win at Ferris State on Apr. 23, 2011.
Cleary and Brittany Taylor each tallied multi-hit contests, with Brittany smacking a pair of doubles and sister Briauna also tallying a two-bagger.
The Lakers will honor the Taylors, Cleary, Calkins, and Kayla Hurd during a Senior Day pregame ceremony on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 19). GVSU will take on Ohio Dominican in a twinbill starting at 1:00 p.m., with a special ceremony honoring retiring head coach Doug Woods in between the two games.
