Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Grand Valley State softball team kicked off the 2015 season on Friday afternoon (Feb. 20) in Rosemont, Ill., as the Lakers competed indoors at the Lewis Dome Tournament. It was a strong first day, as GVSU topped Wisconsin-Parkside by a 10-2 mercy rule score and followed with a 5-2 victory over Illinois Springfield in the nightcap.

It was the second year in a row that the Lakers competed at the Lewis Dome Tournament. Last season at the tournament, GVSU went 2-2 en route to a 30-14 overall record and a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. Both of the Lakers' victories on Friday were regional wins, a key factor in determing NCAA playoff positioning.

This marks the third 2-0 start in the last five seasons, as Grand Valley State also won its opening two games in 2011 and 2012. Friday marked the first time since May 6, 1990 that former Laker head coach Doug 'Doc' Woods was not at the helm of the program. First-year head coach Dana Callihan, a longtime Woods' assistant and a player during Woods' first season in 1991, began her career with a pair of victories.

GVSU recorded 15 runs and 21 hits in the opening day sweep, which is made all the more impressive considering eight of the nine starters in game one against Wisconsin-Parkside were either freshmen or sophomores. The Lakers have 14 underclassmen on the roster to go with four juniors and one senior.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning against UWP, Grand Valley State batted around and scored three runs to gain the lead. The advantage grew to 7-2 in the fourth frame and the Lakers ended the game by a mercy rule by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Freshman shortstop Teagan Shomin reached base all four times and went 3-for-4 with a triple. Shomin also scored three runs in the opener. Sophomore Kelsey Dominguez and rookie Heather Sperlazzo both recorded a pair of hits and scored a run, while sophomore Jenna Lenza doubled and scored twice.

The benefactor of the potent offense - GVSU had 12 hits in the opener - was pitcher Ellie Balbach. Tossing a complete game, the sophomore lefty allowed two runs on seven hits. She walked three batters and struck out six hitters.

Against Illinois Springfield, runs were harder to come by, but the Lakers still collected nine hits. More importantly, the Grand Valley State pitching and defense was in midseason form. GVSU did not commit an error and junior righthander Sara Andrasik allowed just three base hits.

The visiting team in game two, the Lakers scored three runs in the first inning. Illinois Springfield did push two runs across the plate in the bottom of the frame, but those would be the only runs allowed by Andrasik in the game. 

GVSU still led 3-2 in the third inning, when the Lakers scored the final two runs of the game. Andrasik ran into few problems from there. The 2013 GLIAC Freshman of the Year, Andrasik retired the side in order in the second, third, fifth, and sixth innings. She escaped a seventh inning jam to close out the victory.

Andrasik allowed three hits and four walks, but - like Balbach - recorded six strikeouts.

Lenza (run scored) and junior McKenze Supernaw (RBI) both went 2-for-4 against Illinois Springfield. Balbach and Sperlazzo had matching stat lines: 1-for-2, a double, and two walks. Sperlazzo also scored a run. 

Grand Valley State has quite a test on Saturday (Feb. 21). The Lakers will take on #5 Missouri-St. Louis at 7:00 p.m ET, followed by a 9:00 p.m. ET first pitch against Upper Iowa. On Sunday (Feb. 22), GVSU will close the five-game weekend against Kentucky Wesleyan at 10:00 a.m. ET.