WINTERHAVEN, Fla. - Facing nationally ranked Grand Valley State University for the second time this season, the Winona State University softball team fell just short of an upset bid of the Lakers in a 3-1 loss.
Liz Pautz got the start against #7 GVSU (6-0, 0-0 GLIAC) and with Winona State designated as the home side in the neutral site match-up, opened the game with a strong statement, striking out the side in the top of the first. Pautz's counterpart, Hannah Beatus, returned the favor by retiring the Warriors in order, a sign of things to come from both pitchers.
Pautz held GVSU to just five hits, while Beatus kept the Warrior bats largely in check as well, with Winona State mustering just four hits in the contest. However, GVSU did their damage with the long ball, as Laker shortstop Lydia Goble's two-run homer in the third inning spotted the Lakers a 2-0 lead. Winona State responded by cutting the Grand Valley lead in half in the fifth inning, when
Rylee Stout singled to center field, scoring
Kayla Kerkman who drew a walk earlier in the inning.
Both pitchers traded strong efforts in the sixth frame, as both GVSU and WSU went down to 1-2-3 innings. In the seventh, the Lakers added an insurance tally when a walk and a Warrior error advanced GVSU's Taylor Rieger to second. She scored moments later when Kaitlin Lynch doubled, but Pautz dialed in to strike out the next two batters to end the Grand Valley rally.
Winona State was unable to solve Beatus in the bottom of the seventh, falling 3-1 on the day.
Pautz finished with 11 strikeouts and only two walks while conceding three runs, all earned. She scattered five hits over the complete-game seven inning outing, her seventh game this season holding opponents to five or less hits and her ninth game with a double-digit strikeout mark.
Individually at the plate,
Sam Keller,
Rylee Stout,
Marissa Mullen and
Kayla Kerkman all collected one hit apiece; Kerman also drew a walk while Mullen and
Abbie Hlas reached base after being hit by a pitch. The Warriors struck out four times and left six runners on base.
Grand Valley State finished with three runs on five hits and did not commit and error. Winona State had one run on four hits with one miscue in the game.
Winona State (11-5, 0-0 NSIC) was originally scheduled to face Southern New Hampshire University in their second game of the day. That contest was canceled and will not be made up. The Warriors are off on Monday, March 7 and will return to action on Tuesday, March 9 when they face GLIAC foes Saginaw Valley State and Northwood University. The Warriors will take on the Cardinals at 2:30pm EST and will face Northwood at 4:45pm EST.
