May 8, 2004

Box Score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.- - Pitching and defense were the staples of the 2004 Lewis University softball team, but for just the second time in 58 games, both attributes failed the Flyers.

Lewis' (45-13) season came to a close with a 7-0 loss to Grand Valley State (36-7) in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional semifinal. The Lakers amassed 14 hits and forced two Lewis errors to advance to the regional championship game.

Grand Valley stranded 11 runners in its 1-0 loss to Lewis in the Flyers' opening game of the tournament; in the rematch, the Lakers registered the missing hits they needed. GVSU struck first with two runs in the second inning, and then added one run in the fourth, three in the fifth and another in the sixth to seal its win.

Lewis' Mary Jaszczak (19-7) escaped the first inning by wriggling out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam. However, Grand Valley's second inning proved critical. The Lakers' Lindsay Crawford led off with a lazy pop up behind first base that second baseman Elaina Ktistou dropped. The error was followed by another miscue when third baseman Amy Roberts fielded the ensuing sacrifice bunt attempt and couldn't pull the trigger on whether to throw the ball to first or second base. Tara Marsh followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield that plated GVSU's first run. Two batters later, Lewis intentionally walked Jennifer Goldschmeding, who was 7-for-11 with a home run against Lewis this year, to load the bases with two outs. Freshman Crista Buresh then dribbled a slow roller to shortstop that she was able to beat out, driving in the game's second run.

The two-run deficit seemed to sap some of the energy from the Flyers as they mounted just one scoring threat in the game. Lewis recorded seven hits, including two apiece from Robin Martz and Kristy Vanek, but they were spread out and the team advanced just one runner to third base.

Grand Valley's Jennifer Mackson (25-3), who pitched all six Laker games in the tournament, earned the win striking out three and walking two. Jaszczak shouldered the loss, working four innings. She gave up six hits, three runs, one earned run, walked four and struck out none in the final appearance of her collegiate career. Jaszczak is one of eight Lewis seniors whose career came to a close with the loss.

Two Flyers, Jaszczak and sophomore Robin Martz, earned All-Great Lakes Region all-tournament honors. Martz batted .364 (4-for-11), drove in the game-winning run against Grand Valley State in the tournament opener and had a hit in all three tournament games. Jaszczak finished 1-2 with a 1.24 ERA in three games. She pitched a 1-0 shutout over Grand Valley and lost 2-1 to eventual tournament champion Northern Kentucky.

The loss is bittersweet for a Flyer team that won the fourth-most games in school history and claimed the program's eighth Great Lakes Valley Conference championship. Only the 1997 (46), 2000 (50) and 2001 (55) teams won more games than this year's squad. Lewis also posted the highest GLVC winning percentage, .900 (18-2), in school history.