GVSU's Hannah Beatus throws no-hitter as Lakers advance in NCAA regional
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 21 Grand Valley State softball team is one win away from the 2022 NCAA Division II Super Regionals after a 7-0 win over the Indianapolis Greyhounds Friday (May 13) in the winners’ bracket matchup of the second day of the regional. The Lakers improve to 42-6 overall and await their opponent, who will be determined via two elimination games later on Friday afternoon.
Hannah Beatus (W, 20-3) returned to form in a major way, hurling a no-hitter in which she scattered three walks and struck out six. Beatus threw her fourth no-hitter of the season and sixth of her career, matching the program record held by current assistant coach Jennifer Mackson.
More: Hannah Beatus, Morgan Wagner hoping to power GVSU softball back to College World Series
“Morgan (Wagner) was absolutely working today with her pitch calling. We were rocking and rolling and you could just tell they were guessing up there at the plate then the defense made the plays they needed to make. We just had to relax and trust that the skill is there and not try to do too much,” Beatus said after the win.
The Lakers got her a lead before she even stepped into the circle, striking for a run before an out in the first. Kaitlin Lynch drew a four-pitch walk to open the game then Joanna Cirrincione laced a triple into the right-center gap to bring Lynch home, her first of three RBI in the game.
A few threats were stranded over the next few innings before the Lakers added a run in the sixth when Goble tucked a hard-hit ground ball inside the third base bag for a double, was bunted to third by Taylor Rieger, then scored on a softly hit grounder by Kelsey Komorous, who now has three RBI in two games played in the regional.
The Lakers broke things open in the seventh with a five-spot, highlighted by a two-run single up the middle by Cirrincione then Goble smashed a double into the left-center gap to chase around another run. A Komorous groundout drove in another run then a well-placed grounder by Hannah Hollister forced an error to allow the last run to score.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: GVSU's Hannah Beatus throws no-hitter as Lakers advance in NCAA regional
