INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 21 Grand Valley State softball team is one win away from the 2022 NCAA Division II Super Regionals after a 7-0 win over the Indianapolis Greyhounds Friday (May 13) in the winners' bracket matchup of the second day of the regional. The Lakers improve to 42-6 overall and await their opponent, who will be determined via two elimination games later on Friday afternoon.
Hannah Beatus (W, 20-3) returned to form in a major way, hurling a no-hitter in which she scattered three walks and struck out six. Beatus threw her fourth no-hitter of the season and sixth of her career, matching the program record held by current assistant coach Jennifer Mackson.
"Morgan (Wagner) was absolutely working today with her pitch calling. We were rocking and rolling and you could just tell they were guessing up there at the plate then the defense made the plays they needed to make. We just had to relax and trust that the skill is there and not try to do too much," Beatus said after the win.
The Lakers got her a lead before she even stepped into the circle, striking for a run before an out in the first.
Kaitlin Lynch drew a four-pitch walk to open the game then
Joanna Cirrincione laced a triple into the right-center gap to bring Lynch home, her first of three RBI in the game.
A few threats were stranded over the next few innings before the Lakers added a run in the sixth when Goble tucked a hard-hit ground ball inside the third base bag for a double, was bunted to third by
Taylor Rieger, then scored on a softly hit grounder by
Kelsey Komorous, who now has three RBI in two games played in the regional.
The Lakers broke things open in the seventh with a five-spot, highlighted by a two-run single up the middle by Cirrincione then Goble smashed a double into the left-center gap to chase around another run. A Komorous groundout drove in another run then a well-placed grounder by
Hannah Hollister forced an error to allow the last run to score.
Ohio Dominican and Findlay play in a losers' bracket elimination game with the winner facing Indianapolis to determine who will face the Lakers on Saturday. GVSU will need one win while their opponent would need to win twice to advance to next weekend's super regional.