Grand Valley State used a pair of late-inning base hits to secure a road conference sweep at Lake Erie on Saturday afternoon (Mar. 26) in Painesville, Ohio. The Lakers went 3-1 on the opening weekend of GLIAC play in Ohio, as GVSU knocked off the Storm by scores of 5-4 in 10 innings and 3-2 in a walk-off victory.
 
Junior Jenna Lenza delivered a 10th inning RBI double to help the Lakers prevail in the opening game, 5-4. In the nightcap, freshman Kaylie Rhynard capped off the weekend with a walk-off RBI single. Grand Valley State played four GLIAC games on Friday and Saturday against Ashland and Lake Erie; all four games were one-run contests, with the Lakers winning the final three outings.
 
Overall, GVSU is 18-4 on the season and 3-1 in conference action, while Lake Erie falls to 8-12 overall and 0-4 in league play. Grand Valley State is back in action on Tuesday afternoon (Mar. 29) against Wayne State in a twinbill that begins at 3:30 p.m.
 
On Friday's split at Ashland, the Lakers scored four and three runs in the first inning of the two games, respectively. GVSU continued that trend against Lake Erie. Lenza worked a two-out walk in the first inning of game one and had no trouble scoring on a two-out, two-run homer to left center field from cleanup hitter Ellie Balbach. It was the junior's second home run of the season.
 
The lead grew to 3-0 in the third inning, when Rhynard scored on an error, although Lake Erie answered with a run in the bottom of the frame. It was 3-2 in the fifth inning when Rhynard tallied a two-out single, which was followed by a single from Lenza. Balbach then delivered again with an RBI double, scoring Rhynard for a 4-2 advantage.
 
GVSU's lead was still 4-2 in the seventh inning. Laker freshman Allison Lipovsky was in search of the complete game victory, but Lake Erie rallied. A one-out error and a walk put the tying runs on base and with two outs, Savannah Karako doubled to left center field, scoring both runs to tie the game at 4-4. Senior Sara Andrasik relieved Lipovsky to earn the final out of the inning and send the game to extra frames.
 
Neither team would post much of a rally in the eighth or ninth innings. In the top of the 10th, sophomore Teagan Shomin reached on an error. She moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Rhynard and then came into score on a clutch RBI double from Lenza to put the Lakers in front, 5-4.
 
Andrasik worked around a harmless two-out single in the 10th inning and notched groundout to end the ballgame. She earns the victory, moving to 6-1 on the season. Andrasik tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits. She struck out a pair of Lake Erie hitters.
 
Balbach delivered with a 3-for-5 performance, including a double, homer, and three RBI. In 20 games this season, Balbach has collected a team-high 20 RBI. Lenza was 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBI, while Rhynard scored twice.
 
Both teams scored in the first inning of game two. Lake Erie's run came on a Laker error, while Lenza's sacrifice fly knotted the score at 1-1. Shomin scored on the flyball after leading off the bottom of the first with a double.
 
The score stayed the same until the GVSU fourth frame. Freshman Shannon Flaherty led off with an infield single, then moved over to third base on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Flaherty came home on an RBI double from senior McKenze Supernaw for a 2-1 Laker advantage.
 
Lake Erie tied the score at 2-2 on a passed ball. After Balbach, the Lakers' starting pitcher, worked through the seventh inning and stranded a runner, Grand Valley State won the game in the bottom of the stanza. Freshman Rachel Terwilliger led off with a walk. She stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from senior Chelsea Horvath. After Shomin was hit by a pitch, Rhynard ended the ballgame with a one-out single to score Terwilliger for the game-winning tally.
 
Balbach was terrific in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on just four hits in seven innings. She did not allow a walk and struck out four batters in moving to 2-2 on the year. In 17 innings on Saturday, Laker hurlers walked just two batters.
 
GVSU outhit the Storm 6-4 in game two, with Supernaw as the only player in the game with multiple hits. She was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Shomin also doubled in the nightcap.