Despite trailing 3-0 in its last at-bat of game one on Friday (Apr. 24) at Findlay, Grand Valley State plated five unanswered runs with two outs to steal the opener and start a road GLIAC sweep over the Oilers. The Lakers held on for a 3-2 win in game two against a Findlay team that GVSU was tied with in the league standings entering the doubleheader.

Both Grand Valley State and Findlay were tied for fourth place in the league standings with identical 13-8 records coming into Friday's contest. The two-game sweep pushes the Lakers to 29-13 overall and 15-8 in conference play. Findlay is now 25-19 on the year and 13-10 in the GLIAC.

The Oilers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly and upped the advantage to 3-0 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Meanwhile, GVSU's offense had managed just two hits in the first six frames, but the Lakers came alive in their final at-bat.

Sophomore Ellie Balbach led off the seventh with a single to left field, while freshman Heather Sperlazzo followed with a one-out single. With two outs, sophomore Janae Langs singled to right field to bring in the team's first run and cut the deficit to 3-1. Freshman Teagan Shomin was then hit by a pitch; her second HBP of the game and 18th of the season, one shy of tying the GVSU career record.

Shomin's hit by pitch loaded the bases for sophomore Kelsey Dominguez, who tied the game with a two-run double to right field, scoring Sperlazzo and Langs to knot the contest at 3-3. Not yet satisfied, sophomore Jenna Lenza put the Lakers ahead with a two-run single to center field, bringing in Shomin and Dominguez to give Grand Valley State a shocking 5-3 lead. Again, all five Laker runs came with two outs.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, junior Sara Andrasik worked around a one-out single and closed out the Oilers to improve to 10-6 on the season. The righty earned the complete game win by scattering six hits and three runs. She walked two batters and struck out two.

GVSU notched seven hits in the win, but Langs was the only Laker with more than one hit, as the centerfielder went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Dominguez and Lenza each drove in a pair of runs, while Dominguez and Shomin had the team's two doubles. Shomin was officially 1-for-2, but reached base three times with the help of her two hit by pitches.

Looking for the sweep, the Lakers took a 3-0 lead in game two by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was again a five-hit inning (like the seventh inning of the opener) and again Balbach sparked the offense. This time she doubled to center field with one out. Lifted for pinch runner Ali Vander Meer, she moved to third base on an infield single by junior Chelsea Horvath.

Sperlazzo drove in the game's first run with a single to right field, scoring Vander Meer with the hit. After a Kaylie Rhynard bunt single loaded the bases, Langs again came through. She singled to center field and brought in Horvath and Sperlazzo for a 3-0 Laker lead.

That would be just enough offense for GVSU starter Courtney Reinhold. The freshman righty gave up just a two-out single in the second inning, retiring 17 of the first 18 batters she faced. Findlay was able to get to Reinhold for two runs in the seventh inning, but with the tying run on third base, Reinhold forced a groundout to Sperlazzo to end the ballgame.

Reinhold moves to 12-5 on the season with the victory, allowing two runs on five hits. The rookie did not issue a walk, while striking out a pair of Oilers. She recorded 13 outs via the groundball.

Balbach and Horvath were each 2-for-3 in game two, with Langs netting a pair of ribbies. The bottom five hitters in the lineup (Balbach, Horvath, Sperlazzo, Rhynard, Langs) collected seven of the nine Laker hits in the nightcap.

GVSU closes out the regular season at Hillsdale on Saturday. The twinbill against the Chargers (14-10 in the GLIAC) starts at 11:00 a.m.