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After a thrilling 4-3 walk-off victory on Thursday afternoon (May 5) at the NCAA Midwest Region 1 Tournament, hits were hard to come by for Grand Valley State in Friday morning's winner's bracket contest against Trevecca Nazarene. The eighth-seeded Trojans allowed just two Laker hits and used a big three-run sixth inning to capture a 5-1 victory over GVSU in Indianapolis, Ind.
 
The two teams faced off in the winner's bracket after a pair of one-run victories on Thursday. Fourth-seeded Grand Valley State topped fifth seed Southern Indiana on a walk-off bases loaded walk to win the opening game, 4-3. Trevecca Nazarene, the eighth seed, upset top seed Indianapolis 2-1 in nine innings on the Greyhounds' home field.
 
In Friday's clash, however, the Trojans scored single runs in both the first and second innings, then widened the gap with three runs in the sixth inning for a 5-0 lead. That offensive performance was enough for TNU starter Haley Fagan, as the All-Midwest Region Second Team selection gave up just two hits in the complete game victory. She is now 36-11 on the season for the Trojans, the champions of the GMAC (Great Midwest Athletic Conference).
 
While Trevecca Nazarene (45-15) advances to Saturday's championship game/round, the Lakers must play again on Friday afternoon. GVSU (38-11) will face the winning team out of the loser's bracket game, as #2 nationally ranked Indianapolis hosts Southern Indiana in an elimination game. The winner of that contest will take on the Lakers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday; the loser heads home and the winning team will face Trevecca Nazarene in the championship, needing to defeat the Trojans twice on Saturday to win the regional title.
 
Friday's pitching matchup was between Fagan and GVSU's Ellie Balbach, also an All-Midwest Region Second Team choice, though Balbach received the honor as a designated player. Regardless, Balbach threw very well in Thursday's opening game victory over Southern Indiana, scattering five hits in six innings of work.
 
Trevecca Nazarene opened the scoring in the first inning, using a walk, hit by pitch, and a pair of Laker errors to take a 1-0 lead. The Trojans could have extended their lead, but an inning-ending 2-3 (catcher to first base) double play helped GVSU escape further trouble.
 
In the second inning, TNU provided its own offense with a run on three hits, pushing the lead to 2-0. The Lakers threatened in the bottom half of the frame, as freshman Shannon Flaherty reached on an one-out error and sophomore Teagan Shomin hit a sharp single to right field to put a pair of runners on base. Fagan battled back to retire the next two batters, ending the Lakers' threat.
 
Senior Sara Andrasik relieved Balbach after a Trojan leadoff double in the second inning and recorded six straight outs, including a 1-2-3 third frame. She stranded a pair of runners in the fourth inning by inducing a popup to Flaherty at third base.
 
Balbach led off with a walk in the bottom of the fourth, followed two batters later by a walk to Shomin. A pair of groundouts, however, kept the TNU lead at 2-0.
 
The score was still 2-0 until Trevecca Nazarene notched three runs on four hits in the sixth inning. A sacrifice fly and a two-run single by Caitlyn Hudgins pushed the Trojan advantage to 5-0.
 
GVSU notched its only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, as senior McKenze Supernaw led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch runner Tanner Kiessel. She moved to second base on a passed ball and third base on a groundout. With one out, Flaherty hit a groundball to first base and the Trojan fielder tried to get Kiessel out at the plate, but she slid in just before the tag to get the Lakers on the scoreboard.
 
Shomin followed with her second base hit to put a pair of runners on with one out, but a strikeout and a groundout closed the frame and GVSU's scoring threat.
 
The Lakers were set down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Trevecca Nazarene held an 11-2 advantage in hits, yet there was just one extra-base hit: a double by TNU's Jordan Griner in the second inning. Both teams committed two errors.
 
Balbach (7-3) received the loss by allowing the two early runs. Andrasik gave up three runs on nine hits (all singles) in six innings in the circle. She tossed 92 pitches in relief of Balbach.
 
Shomin had both of the Lakers' base hits, as the shortstop was 2-for-2. Junior Jenna Lenza kept her 'reached base' streak alive at 17 consecutive games with a two-out walk in the third inning.
 
The loss evens the season series between the teams, as Grand Valley State defeated Trevecca Nazarene 4-3 on Mar. 10 in Clermont, Fla. It was the first-ever meeting between GVSU and the Trojans in the NCAA postseason.
 
Grand Valley State is now 37-28 in its 14 all-time appearances in the NCAA Tournament.