Findlay, Ohio - The Grand Valley State softball team was eliminated from the GLIAC Tournament on Saturday afternoon (May 3), as the Lakers dropped an 11-3 decision to Ohio Dominican. GVSU went 2-2 in the conference tournament, winning both of its games on Friday.
With the loss to top-ranked ODU, Grand Valley State falls to 29-12. The fourth-seeded Lakers had defeated #5 Northwood and #8 Findlay on Friday before falling to #2 Wayne State by a 3-2 score earlier on Saturday. Ohio Dominican (29-26) advances to Sunday's GLIAC Championship game against Wayne State, needing to beat the Warriors twice to win the league title.
GVSU, ranked fifth in the latest Midwest Regional rankings, will learn its NCAA postseason fate on Monday (May 5). The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA Tournament next weekend.
Ohio Dominican, playing its third straight elimination game on Saturday, was leading 1-0 in the top of the second inning, when senior Miranda Cleary drilled a leadoff solo homer to right center field, tying the score at 1-1. It was her 11th home run of the season and the 48th of her career, the second-highest total in GLIAC history.
In the top of the third inning, the Lakers took a 2-1 lead. GVSU loaded the bases with freshman Jenna Lenza (leadoff walk), classmate Kelsey Dominguez (bunt single), and senior Briauna Taylor (infield single). Cleary brought in Lenza with a sacrifice fly, but ODU pitcher Brandis Fishel escaped the jam without any more trouble.
The Panthers answered back with a four-run bottom half of the third, with the big blow coming on a three-run homer from GLIAC Player of the Year Taylor Thomas. Ohio Dominican's lead grew to 9-2 with four more runs tacked on in the fourth inning, including a three-run roundtripper from Allie Hinton, the league's Freshman of the Year.
Grand Valley State got a run back in the fifth frame when Taylor crushed a home run to left center field and off of the light pole beyond the fence. The solo homer was Taylor's 11th this season and the 33rd of her career, fourth-most in Laker history.
Ohio Dominican, which lost to Findlay by a 16-11 score in the tournament's opening game, defeated Walsh and Ashland before facing the Lakers. The Panthers pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the sixth inning to earn the mercy rule.
The loss went to sophomore Sara Andrasik (12-7), who allowed nine runs (five earned) in 3.2 innings in the circle. Junior Sarah Wyse allowed two runs in 1.2 innings in relief.
Taylor and Cleary both recorded two hits, with Cleary delivering a pair of ribbies. Both players were named to the All-GLIAC First Team on Friday, each for the third time in their careers.
