CHATANOOGA, Tenn — Pitching has led Grand Valley State to the verge of the school's first national championship in softball.
The Lakers are 30-1 this season when sixth-year senior Hannah Beatus is in the circle.
That one loss came way back on March fifth in a 1-0 defeat to St. Cloud State in a game that Beatus allowed an unearned run on two hits and she struck out nine.
"Hannah should be undefeated," GVSU fifth-year senior shortstop Lydia Goble said about that one loss. "That was totally our offense and lack of it in that game where we should have helped her out a little more."
Since, the Lakers (47-6) have won 27 straight games in which Beatus has pitched including all eight games in the NCAA Tournament where she has thrown every pitch for the Lakers.
"She leads the team from the mound with her presence and she is a leader by example and a leader vocally as well," Goble said about Beatus. "We have so much confidence in each other, not even just Hannah, but she trusts us behind her too. She knows that they can touch the ball and she can give us those little mishits and we are going to take care of her."
As for Grand Valley State's opponent, North Gerogia (62-7) has a one-two punch at pitcher in juniors Tybee Denton and Kristen Davis.
The Lakers expect to see both in the series and hope to see both in game one.
"That is actually one of our goals each and every game is we want to see a pitching change," tenth year head coach Dana Callihan said. "It is just the mindset that this game is about making adjustments and the really great hitters make adjustments pitch-to-pitch so we have to make it at-bat-to-at-bat, that is something that we can do."
Game one of the best-of-three series is scheduled for noon on Tuesday in Chattanooga.
