On its final day at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., Grand Valley State notched a split for the third consecutive day. The Lakers closed their 12-game spring break trip on Saturday (Mar. 7) by defeating Truman State in nine innings, 5-3. GVSU then fell to #21 Indianapolis by an 8-2 score in the nightcap.
 
During the dozen games this week, the Lakers went 9-3. Grand Valley State's record improves to 13-4 on the year, as the team returns home.
 
The Lakers took an early 1-0 lead against Truman State in the opener. Leadoff hitter Teagan Shomin started the game with a walk, moved to third on a single from sophomore Kelsey Dominguez, and scored on a fielder's choice.
 
A two-run homer from the Bulldogs' Haley Wells gave TSU a 2-1 lead in the second inning. The advantage grew to 3-1 in the fourth inning, but that was the last time a Bulldog would cross home plate on GVSU starter Courtney Reinhold.
 
In the fifth inning, it was the top of the lineup that again gave the Lakers a run. Shomin notched a one-out single and moved to second on a Bulldog error. Dominguez followed with a single, pushing Shomin to third base. Sophomore Jenna Lenza lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing in Shomin to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
The score was still 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning and the Lakers had two outs when head coach Dana Callihan sent freshman pinch hitter AJ Castle into the game. The rookie delivered in the biggest way, sending a 2-1 offering to dead center field and over the fence for a pinch-hit game-tying homer. It was the first home run of the newcomer's career.
 
Reinhold made the tie score stand up and the game went to extra innings, knotted at 3-3. Even with the international tiebreaker rule (a runner placed on second base to start each half inning), neither team could score a run in the eighth inning.
 
In the ninth, sophomore Marianne Deppe was placed on second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Shomin came through in the clutch with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Deppe for the 4-3 advantage. Two batters later, Lenza singled - also down the left field line - to bring Shomin around to score. The Lakers went to the bottom of the ninth, leading 5-3.
 
Reinhold retired all three Bulldogs in order in the ninth to preserve the victory. The freshman improved to 5-1 this season with a complete game nine-inning effort. She allowed just four hits, three runs, and one walk. Reinhold utilized 14 groundball outs, 11 flyballs, and notched the win with just one strikeout.
 
Shomin scored three of the Lakers' five runs, while going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Dominguez was 3-for-5, while Lenza tallied three RBI. Junior Chelsea Horvath went 2-for-3 with a double and the key sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning to move Deppe over before she scored the go-ahead run.
 
The final game of the trip for the Lakers featured a rematch of the 2013 Midwest Super Regional series, in which #9 GVSU won the best-of-three series at #1 Indianapolis to knock off the Greyhounds and advance to the College World Series.
 
On Saturday, Indianapolis jumped out to a 4-0 lead by plating two runs in the first inning and single runs in the second and third stanzas. The Lakers scored in the fourth inning on an RBI double from Horvath that brought in pinch runner Megan Downey.
 
The Greyhounds answered with two runs in the fifth inning to move to a 6-1 advantage before another Horvath RBI double scored pinch runner Ali Vander Meer and made the score, 6-2. Indianapolis closed the scoring with two runs in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Both teams had their respective 2013 conference freshman of the year award winners in the circle, as GVSU's Sara Andrasik battled UIndy's Morgan Foley. They were the two starting pitchers in the decisive game of the 2013 Super Regional, with Andrasik topping Foley and the Greyhounds, 3-2.
 
On Saturday, Foley earned the victory, allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) in the complete game win. She moves to 4-2 on the season. Foley did strike out nine Lakers, but issued five walks. Andrasik drops to 3-2, as she gave up eight runs (six earned) on nine hits. She walked four batters and struck out seven Greyhounds.
 
Dominguez, Supernaw, and Horvath all went 2-for-3 and combined for all six of the Lakers' hits. Horvath had a pair of doubles and a pair of RBI.
 
Grand Valley State is next scheduled to play on Mar. 17 in the home opener. The Lakers welcome Aquinas to Allendale at 3:00 p.m. for a non-conference doubleheader, weather of course pending.