CLERMONT, Fla. -- Grand Valley State put together a pair of monstrous first innings in its mercy-rule victories against Sciences in Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill on Monday. The Lakers racked up 28 hits, including three home runs, and scored 27 runs in their two most recent wins at the NTC Softball Complex.
In its first game of the day, GVSU did not waste any time building an early lead and running away with a 16-3 win against Sciences. The Lakers sent 16 hitters to the plate in a nine-hit, 10-run opening frame. GVSU's first 11 batters reached base.
Freshman infielder Jenna Lenza led off the inning with a solo home run to left center. Next, sophomore outfielder McKenze Supernaw tripled to right field and senior infielder Briauna Taylor drove her home with an infield single.
Following a walk by senior infielder Miranda Cleary, senior first baseman Tonya Calkins singled up the middle to bring home another run. Two more runners touched home,thanks to back-to-back errors and sophomore outfielder Chelsea Horvath laced a single up the middle to put another pair of runs on the board.
In their second at-bats of the inning, Lenza singled up the middle and Supernaw singled down the third-base line to bring in the seventh and eighth runs of the frame.
Cleary singled for a second time and Calkins drew a walk with the bases loaded to tack on the final runs of the inning.
A three-run double by Cleary helped the Lakers build on their lead in the second frame, while Taylor drove in two runs with her third single of the game in the third inning to cap GVSU's scoring.
Freshman pitcher Ellie Balbach tossed three scoreless innings to pick up her second win in as many days. Balbach only yielded two hits and two walks against the Devils.
GVSU followed the same script in its afternoon session. The Lakers scored seven runs in the top of the first in their 11-1 victory versus Chestnut Hill.
Briauna Taylor kicked the scoring off with a two-run homer to left center. Cleary reached on a single and Calkins brought her to the plate with a double to right center. Junior pitcher Lauren Gevaart and Brittany Taylor each drove in runners with singles, while Lenza roped a two-run triple to cap the scoring.
In the third inning, Taylor's second home run of the game resulted in three more runs and an 11-0 lead.
Three singles in the bottom of the fifth manufactured Chestnut Hill's only run of the game.
Sophomore pitcher Sara Andrasik did not allow a hit through the first four innings and struck out four hitters in five frames of work.
Taylor finished the afternoon with nine runs batted in, five hits and five runs. Calkins, Cleary and Lenza each tallied four RBIs in the two wins.
