Posted: May 18, 2016
GVSU won 43 games (eighth-most in school history) and advanced to College World Series for third time in program history
Postgame Press Conference
DENVER -- Grand Valley State was eliminated from the 2016 College World Series in Denver, Colo. on Wednesday night (May 18), as the Lakers fell to #16 Armstrong State by a 7-4 score at the National Championships Festival. GVSU led 1-0 after three innings before both teams' offenses heated up, however, the Pirates scored multiple runs in three of their final four at-bats to secure the victory.
The loss ends Grand Valley State's season at 43-13, with the 43 victories tying the 1997 Lakers for eighth-most in a season in school history. With the win, Armstrong State improves to 41-14 and advances to Thursday's (May 19) elimination game against East region champion Adelphi at 12:00 p.m. MDT (2:00 p.m. ET).
Wednesday's pitching matchup featured a pair of righthanders - GVSU sophomore Courtney Reinholdagainst Armstrong State junior Jane Trzaska. Both pitchers had little trouble in the opening inning. Reinhold worked around a leadoff walk to force three straight infield popups, while Trzaska set down the Lakers in order in the home half of the first frame.
Reinhold used just 11 pitches in a 1-2-3 second inning against the Pirates to continue her strong early start. Senior McKenze Supernaw led off the bottom of the second inning with a single to centerfield and freshman Shannon Flaherty reached on an error, but those were sandwiched around a tough 4-6-3 double play that prevented perhaps the game's first run.
In the third inning, Reinhold needed just eight pitches to force three groundball outs, including fielding a comebacker for the second out. She induced six groundball outs in perfect second and third frames.
GVSU got on the scoreboard for the first time in the College World Series in the third inning. The Lakers loaded the bases on a walk (sophomore Teagan Shomin), a fielder's choice (sophomore Kaylie Rhynard), and a four-pitch walk (junior Jenna Lenza). With the bases juiced and two outs, Supernaw appeared to be hit by a 2-2 pitch, but the umpire called time and brought Supernaw back to the plate, deeming that she did not attempt to avoid the pitch. However, two pitches later, Supernaw was walked to bring in Shomin for the game's first run. Trzaska escaped further trouble with a looking strikeout.
Reinhold's streak of nine consecutive retired batters ended when ASU junior first baseman Hannah Reppert led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to left center, her 19th roundtripper of the season. It was the first hit allowed by Reinhold in the game.
Trzaska - the pitcher - followed with a single to right field and catcher Logan Harrell delivered an RBI double to right center to score Trzaska, but Harrell was thrown out trying to stretch the double to a triple. At the end of the frame, Armstrong State took a 2-1 advantage.
Trzaska and freshman Allison Lipovsky (who relieved Reinhold in the fourth) each recorded 1-2-3 innings in the team's next at-bat. In the bottom of the fifth, Shomin was hit by a pitch and moved to second base with two outs on a Lenza bloop single to left field. Trzaska avoided trouble by forcing Supernaw into a groundout to end the fifth inning.
Armstrong State upped its lead with three runs on three hits in the top of the sixth inning. A Laker miscue prolonged the inning, but a pair of RBI singles from freshman shortstop Macy Coleman and senior centerfielder Ashley Sterritt was sandwiched around a sacrifice fly from designated player Autumn Parrish, pushing the Pirate advantage to 5-1.
The Lakers trimmed the deficit after the first two batters were retired in the sixth. Junior Kelsey Dominguezdrilled a double to left center and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Senior Chelsea Horvath worked a 10-pitch walk to put runners on the corners with two down. Two pitches later, junior Janae Langs blooped a single down the left field line to bring in Dominguez for a 5-2 score.
In the seventh, Reppert added a two-run homer to left center field for her 20th homer of the year, moving the Pirates out to a 7-2 advantage.
GVSU quickly answered in the bottom of the seventh, as Lenza notched a one-out single. Supernaw followed by blasting her eighth homer of the year, a two-run shot that easily cleared the wall in left field, bringing GVSU within three at 7-4. Trzaska retired the next two batters, however, to end the game and the Lakers' magical season.
Reinhold (10-5) suffered the loss, allowing the two early runs on three hits. Lipovsky allowed three unearned runs in the sixth inning, giving up three hits in 2.2 innings. Senior Sara Andrasik gave up two runs on two hits in the seventh inning in the final appearance of her career.
Trzaska (17-4) earned the victory by scattering four runs on seven hits in the complete game win. She walked four Lakers and recorded three strikeouts.
Lenza and Supernaw both went 2-for-3 and scored a run, while Supernaw drilled the two-run homer in her final career at-bat and totaled three RBI.
It was the final games in a Laker uniform for Andrasik, Horvath, and Supernaw, who bookended their stellar careers with World Series appearances as freshmen in 2013 and seniors in 2016. Along with redshirt junior catcher Marianne Deppe, they are the only Lakers in program history to advance to two College World Series in their careers.
Laker Notes
- Tonight's meeting between GVSU and Armstrong State is the first-ever showdown on the softball diamond. The Lakers' opening round opponent (#1 West Texas A&M) was also a team Grand Valley State had never played before the World Series
- When the Lakers last advanced to the 2013 College World Series, Armstrong State also qualified for the national tournament. Armstrong State has made three appearances at the World Series (2013, 2014, 2016) and now owns a 4-5 overall record
- This is the Lakers' third trip to the College World Series (2002, 2013, 2016) in their 14 overall NCAA Tournament appearances
- GVSU is now 42-30 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 6-6 record at the College World Series level
- Grand Valley State is the lowest-seeded regionally ranked team competing in Denver, as the Lakers were a #4 seed out of the Midwest Region. Armstrong State - the Southeast Region champions - is one of three #2 seeds in the eight-team World Series field
- Five of the eight teams were nationally ranked in the most recent NFCA Top-25 poll, released at the end of the regular season. Adelphi, Charleston, and Grand Valley State were all unranked in that poll, but were the first three teams listed in the 'Receiving Votes' category, just outside the top-25
DENVER -- Grand Valley State was eliminated from the 2016 College World Series in Denver, Colo. on Wednesday night (May 18), as the Lakers fell to #16 Armstrong State by a 7-4 score at the National Championships Festival. GVSU led 1-0 after three innings before both teams' offenses heated up, however, the Pirates scored multiple runs in three of their final four at-bats to secure the victory.
The loss ends Grand Valley State's season at 43-13, with the 43 victories tying the 1997 Lakers for eighth-most in a season in school history. With the win, Armstrong State improves to 41-14 and advances to Thursday's (May 19) elimination game against East region champion Adelphi at 12:00 p.m. MDT (2:00 p.m. ET).
Wednesday's pitching matchup featured a pair of righthanders - GVSU sophomore Courtney Reinholdagainst Armstrong State junior Jane Trzaska. Both pitchers had little trouble in the opening inning. Reinhold worked around a leadoff walk to force three straight infield popups, while Trzaska set down the Lakers in order in the home half of the first frame.
Reinhold used just 11 pitches in a 1-2-3 second inning against the Pirates to continue her strong early start. Senior McKenze Supernaw led off the bottom of the second inning with a single to centerfield and freshman Shannon Flaherty reached on an error, but those were sandwiched around a tough 4-6-3 double play that prevented perhaps the game's first run.
In the third inning, Reinhold needed just eight pitches to force three groundball outs, including fielding a comebacker for the second out. She induced six groundball outs in perfect second and third frames.
GVSU got on the scoreboard for the first time in the College World Series in the third inning. The Lakers loaded the bases on a walk (sophomore Teagan Shomin), a fielder's choice (sophomore Kaylie Rhynard), and a four-pitch walk (junior Jenna Lenza). With the bases juiced and two outs, Supernaw appeared to be hit by a 2-2 pitch, but the umpire called time and brought Supernaw back to the plate, deeming that she did not attempt to avoid the pitch. However, two pitches later, Supernaw was walked to bring in Shomin for the game's first run. Trzaska escaped further trouble with a looking strikeout.
Reinhold's streak of nine consecutive retired batters ended when ASU junior first baseman Hannah Reppert led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to left center, her 19th roundtripper of the season. It was the first hit allowed by Reinhold in the game.
Trzaska - the pitcher - followed with a single to right field and catcher Logan Harrell delivered an RBI double to right center to score Trzaska, but Harrell was thrown out trying to stretch the double to a triple. At the end of the frame, Armstrong State took a 2-1 advantage.
Trzaska and freshman Allison Lipovsky (who relieved Reinhold in the fourth) each recorded 1-2-3 innings in the team's next at-bat. In the bottom of the fifth, Shomin was hit by a pitch and moved to second base with two outs on a Lenza bloop single to left field. Trzaska avoided trouble by forcing Supernaw into a groundout to end the fifth inning.
Armstrong State upped its lead with three runs on three hits in the top of the sixth inning. A Laker miscue prolonged the inning, but a pair of RBI singles from freshman shortstop Macy Coleman and senior centerfielder Ashley Sterritt was sandwiched around a sacrifice fly from designated player Autumn Parrish, pushing the Pirate advantage to 5-1.
The Lakers trimmed the deficit after the first two batters were retired in the sixth. Junior Kelsey Dominguezdrilled a double to left center and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Senior Chelsea Horvath worked a 10-pitch walk to put runners on the corners with two down. Two pitches later, junior Janae Langs blooped a single down the left field line to bring in Dominguez for a 5-2 score.
In the seventh, Reppert added a two-run homer to left center field for her 20th homer of the year, moving the Pirates out to a 7-2 advantage.
GVSU quickly answered in the bottom of the seventh, as Lenza notched a one-out single. Supernaw followed by blasting her eighth homer of the year, a two-run shot that easily cleared the wall in left field, bringing GVSU within three at 7-4. Trzaska retired the next two batters, however, to end the game and the Lakers' magical season.
Reinhold (10-5) suffered the loss, allowing the two early runs on three hits. Lipovsky allowed three unearned runs in the sixth inning, giving up three hits in 2.2 innings. Senior Sara Andrasik gave up two runs on two hits in the seventh inning in the final appearance of her career.
Trzaska (17-4) earned the victory by scattering four runs on seven hits in the complete game win. She walked four Lakers and recorded three strikeouts.
Lenza and Supernaw both went 2-for-3 and scored a run, while Supernaw drilled the two-run homer in her final career at-bat and totaled three RBI.
It was the final games in a Laker uniform for Andrasik, Horvath, and Supernaw, who bookended their stellar careers with World Series appearances as freshmen in 2013 and seniors in 2016. Along with redshirt junior catcher Marianne Deppe, they are the only Lakers in program history to advance to two College World Series in their careers.
Laker Notes
- Tonight's meeting between GVSU and Armstrong State is the first-ever showdown on the softball diamond. The Lakers' opening round opponent (#1 West Texas A&M) was also a team Grand Valley State had never played before the World Series
- When the Lakers last advanced to the 2013 College World Series, Armstrong State also qualified for the national tournament. Armstrong State has made three appearances at the World Series (2013, 2014, 2016) and now owns a 4-5 overall record
- This is the Lakers' third trip to the College World Series (2002, 2013, 2016) in their 14 overall NCAA Tournament appearances
- GVSU is now 42-30 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including a 6-6 record at the College World Series level
- Grand Valley State is the lowest-seeded regionally ranked team competing in Denver, as the Lakers were a #4 seed out of the Midwest Region. Armstrong State - the Southeast Region champions - is one of three #2 seeds in the eight-team World Series field
- Five of the eight teams were nationally ranked in the most recent NFCA Top-25 poll, released at the end of the regular season. Adelphi, Charleston, and Grand Valley State were all unranked in that poll, but were the first three teams listed in the 'Receiving Votes' category, just outside the top-25
