The Grand Valley State softball season came to an end on Sunday afternoon (May 10) in St. Louis, Mo., as Wayne State earned a 3-0 victory over the Lakers in an elimination game. Playing for the first time since Friday afternoon, GVSU allowed a pair of first-inning runs and was unable to come back against the reigning Midwest Region champions.
 
On Friday, the fourth-seeded Lakers dropped a 4-2 decision to #17 Southern Indiana, while eighth-seeded Wayne State fell to #1 Missouri-St. Louis by a 1-0 score, setting up Sunday's elimination contest. The Lakers' 2015 season ends with a 32-17 overall record and a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Wayne State (43-19) faces Southern Indiana in another elimination game on Sunday, as the winner of that game will need to knock off top-ranked Missouri-St. Louis twice to win the sub-regional title and advance to next weekend's Midwest Super Regional three-game series.
 
The Warriors struck first in the bottom of the first frame off Laker starter Sara Andrasik. WSU leadoff batter - and starting pitcher - Lyndsay Butler reached on an infield single. She moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and an error, then came in for the game's first run on a sacrifice fly. An RBI double from Jade McGarr followed to make the score 2-0.
 
WSU added a run in the fourth inning. After Andrasik retired the first two batters, the Warriors reached on a pair of errors and used an infield single to tally their third run of the contest.
 
Grand Valley State notched its first hit of the game - a one-out single from freshman Heather Sperlazzo - but the Warriors turned a double play to end the fifth frame. The Lakers' best scoring chance came in the top of the sixth inning.
 
Sophomore Janae Langs ripped a sharp one-out single up the middle and raced into second base on an error by the WSU centerfielder. Two more sophomores - Kelsey Dominguez and Jenna Lenza - reached base on consecutive walks, loading the bases with one out. However, Butler - the back-to-back GLIAC Pitcher of the Year - induced a popup and groundout to get out of trouble.
 
Sperlazzo singled again in the seventh inning, but the Lakers were unable to put together a last-inning rally against WSU. Sperlazzo (2-for-3) and Langs (1-for-3) collected the three GVSU hits against Butler.
 
Andrasik (11-7) put together a solid effort, allowing three runs (all unearned) on seven hits in six innings. She walked one and struck out one. Butler moves to 23-9 on the year, as the righty gave up three hits and three walks, while striking out six Lakers.
 
Laker Notes
- GVSU now owns a 36-27 all-time record in 13 NCAA Tournament appearances
- The Lakers had recorded at least one victory in each of their previous 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament
- Grand Valley State is now 2-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament play against Wayne State
- GVSU graduates senior pitcher Sarah Wyse, but return the other 18 players on the roster next season
- The 32 wins are the Lakers' 18th-most in a season in school history; Grand Valley State has recorded 20 seasons of 30 or more victories