April 16, 2003

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State earned two wins over Saginaw Valley State on Wednesday to give head coach Doug Woods 500 career victories at GVSU. The Lakers won the first game 3-0 and pulled out a 3-2 win in eight innings in game two. Junior Jennifer Mackson threw a one-hit shutout in the first game and three scoreless innings in game two to get her second win of the day. #6 Grand Valley State is now 35-3 on the year and remains a perfect 10-0 in conference action.

The Lakers started with a run in the first as Tara Marsh led of the game by getting to second on an error and scoring on a Sara Vroegindewey single. GVSU tacked on two insurance runs in the fourth Kerri Jonas and Rachel Blain hit back-to-back triples and ended up scoring. Mackson (20-1) allowed only one hit while striking out 17. Blain tallied two hits and an RBI.

GVSU needed a two-run home run from Vroegindewey in the fifth to tie the score at 2-2. Mackson entered in the sixth and held the Cardinals scoreless until Bobbi Connor's RBI single in the eighth gave GVSU the 3-2 lead. SVSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning but Mackson got her sixth strikeout to end the game. Conner was 3-of-4 at the plate, while Marsh and Vroegindewey both punched out two hits.

With the two wins Woods improves to 500-215-3 (.696) in his career, including six straight seasons with 40 or more wins. "Doc" Woods is the winningest coach in GVSU softball history after 13 years at the helm.

GVSU travels to Wayne State on Friday for a battle for first place in the GLIAC. WSU is also undefeated in the conference and is ranked #1 in the region, with GVSU ranked #2 in the NCAA Great Lakes region. The Lakers will finish the week with a GLIAC twinbill at Hillsdale.