Grand Valley State split a pair of games on Friday (Mar. 11) at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., with the opening game ending in another terrific Laker victory. GVSU topped its third 2015 NCAA Tournament team this week, as the Lakers shut out #21 West Chester by a 3-0 score on Friday morning before falling to Slippery Rock 4-2 in the afternoon. 

In addition to defeating Southern Indiana on Tuesday and Trevecca Nazarene on Thursday, the Lakers beat another team that participated in the NCAA Tournament last season when Grand Valley State blanked West Chester. The victory was also GVSU's second over a ranked opponent already this season; the Lakers defeated #20 Winona State on Sunday, also by a 3-0 score.

Now 12-2 on the season and with separate seven and five-game win streaks, Grand Valley State closes its 12-game Spring Break trip on Saturday (Mar. 12), as the Lakers take on Pace (11:00 a.m.) and Minnesota State Moorhead (1:00 p.m.).

In the victory over West Chester (19-2), sophomore pitcher Courtney Reinhold was outstanding - and she needed to be, as her counterpart was WCU's Amanda Houck, the PSAC Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in 2015. But the Lakers got to Houck early, as sophomore Teagan Shomin - already GVSU's career record holder in hit by pitches - led off the game by taking another plunking, her fourth of the year. Two batters later, senior McKenze Supernaw drilled her second homer of the season, a two-run shot to right center field that put GVSU in front, 2-0.

Reinhold allowed just a leadoff bunt single in the third inning before retiring the next 13 batters she faced. The sophomore righty worked perfect 1-2-3 innings in the fourth, fifth, and sixth frames. Before coming out for the seventh inning, Reinhold received another run of support, as freshman Rachel Terwilliger hit a solo homer to right center field for a 3-0 Laker lead. It was the first home run of Terwilliger's GVSU career.

After a foulout and a groundout, Reinhold gave up a base hit down the left field line, ending her streak of 13 consecutive retired batters. She bounced back to induce an infield popup to end the game. Reinhold moves to 3-0 on the season, allowing just two hits (both singles), no walks, and striking out a pair. She received 10 groundball outs and eight outs in the air.

Sophomore Kaylie Rhynard went 2-for-3 and was the only player in the game with multiple hits. Supernaw and Terwilliger's roundtrippers were the only extra base hits in the game. 

Slippery Rock (8-8) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning before the Lakers cut the deficit in half when a sacrifice fly from Supernaw scored classmate Chelsea Horvath. GVSU tied the score in the fourth inning when junior Jenna Lenza led off with a triple to right center field. She immediately scored on freshman Shannon Flaherty's RBI infield single, knotting the score at 2-2.

The score would stay tied until the seventh, when Slippery Rock would plate runs on a Laker error and a wild pitch to jump ahead 4-2. Unfortunately, the Lakers were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game.

Junior lefthander Ellie Balbach was credited with the loss, falling to 1-2 on the season, despite pitching well. She gave up four runs on eight hits in a complete game performance. Balbach walked one batter and notched seven strikeouts.

Rhynard and Flaherty were both 2-for-3 in the second game for the GVSU offense.