Grand Valley State and North Georgia are each 2-0 and control their own destinies after the first two days of action at the Division II World Series.
The Lakers and the Nighthawks were victorious in Friday’s winner’s bracket games, with GVSU besting UT Tyler 2-1 in a nine-inning game and North Georgia dispatching Central Oklahoma 6-3.
GVSU and UT Tyler engaged in a true pitcher’s duel, with Hannah Beatus battling the combination of Tatem Goff and Shealyn O’Leary. In the ninth inning, Grand Valley senior star Lydia Goble knocked a walk-off single through the right side to give her team the win.
“Oh, what a game. What a game,” Grand Valley State head coach Dana Callihan said. “One of the benefits of having the experience that we have on the field is that I can trust them. Put the ball in their hands and let them do their thing. I got a few more gray hairs today, I’m sure, but at the same time, I had all the confidence in the world in these guys.”
Goble, the Lakers’ leading hitter this season, led the squad with a 3-5 performance at the plate. She also notched a double earlier in the game, the only extra base hit for Grand Valley State in the game. Beatus threw all nine innings in the circle for her squad, allowing six hits, one run, and collecting eleven strikeouts.
“That’s a moment that we’ve dreamed of as kids. That’s what we work for each and every day,” Goble said. Giving credit to teammate Joanna Cirirncione, whose at-bat preceded Goble’s and set up a first-and-third situation ahead of the walkoff, Goble added, “All I had to do was put the ball in play and something good was going to happen.”
North Georgia was red-hot out of the gate, with the Nighthawks taking advantage of some UCO mistakes en route to a 4-run first inning. Central Oklahoma staged a comeback that brought the score within one run, a 4-3 UNG lead. Some insurance runs in the fifth inning led to the 6-3 final score in the Nighthawks’ favor.
“Extremely proud of the kids, to get off on a great start. The bottom of the first inning just kind-of set the tone for us,” North Georgia head coach Mike Davenport said. “Of course, having a 4-0 lead never feels safe when you’re in the national tournament but I do know that’s who we are. It was cool to see the kids play our style of game.”
Sophie Mooney stood out on both sides of the ball for UNG, posting a perfect 3-3 showing at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored while also notching 3.1 innings of 1-hit, shutout ball from the circle. On in relief, Mooney collected three strikeouts from the circle.
Mooney also set a new North Georgia single-season record for base hits, notching her 93rd hit of the season in the game.
“It feels awesome. I’ve never set a record like this before,” Mooney said. “I’ve just come out trying to prove myself. Take it one pitch at a time, just trying to square the ball up and not force something to happen, because it’ll happen. That’s just been my approach.”
A four-game slate awaits on Saturday, all elimination games. Six of the eight teams in the World Series will play and four will go home. Elimination games between Cal State San Marcos and Wilmington, then Nova Southeastern and East Stroudsburg will open Saturday’s slate. Central Oklahoma and UT Tyler will take on the winners of those games in elimination games to close the day and set the matchups for Sunday’s championship semifinals.
