GVSU softball claims GLIAC tournament title
ALLENDALE, Mich. (BVM) — The Grand Valley State University (GVSU) softball team has gotten hot at exactly the right time. Winners of 12 straight games, the Lakers continued rolling in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) tournament this week.
Ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region, the Lakers began the tournament in Sandusky, Ohio with a doubleheader on Tuesday. Game one saw GVSU dominate Ashland in a 9-1 victory, while game two ended up being a pitchers’ duel that saw the Lakers sneak out a 1-0 win over Wayne State.
GVSU looked strong offensively on Wednesday, taking it to Northwood in an 11-1 contest. However, the rematch against the Timberwolves on Thursday for the championship would be a much tougher game.
Three third-inning runs by Northwood would give them an early lead, but the Lakers would answer with two of their own in the bottom half of the frame. The Timberwolves would hold the one-run lead until the bottom of the fifth, when GVSU made a late, two-out rally.
After Lakers’ infielder Taylor Rieger was hit by a pitch, Lydia Goble came to the plate and doubled. The next GVSU batter was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Morgan Wagner, who singled to put the Lakers ahead. Hannah Hollister followed Wagner with another hit, giving GVSU a 5-3 lead they would not relinquish.
“It just shows a lot of grit and determination by these young ladies,” head coach Dana Callihan said after the game. “From day one, they had their goals set, and they just wanted to check another one off the list. They came through when they needed to.”
On the mound, it was another dominant performance from Hannah Beatus, who has a 21-2 record on the year. Her four strikeouts in this one helped lead her to a perfect 18-0 record in GLIAC play this season, with three of those wins coming in the conference tournament.
The tournament championship has led the Lakers to an impressive 41-7 overall record, and an automatic bid from the Midwest Region in next week’s NCAA tournament. The Lakers will find out their seed and opponent this weekend, with the regional game scheduled to take place at GVSU Softball Field.
