The Grand Valley State softball team dropped a conference doubleheader against #18 Wayne State in Detroit on Tuesday (Mar. 29). WSU won by scores of 4-0 and 8-1 on its home field in a matchup of two of the top teams in the GLIAC's preseason poll.
 
Coming into the twinbill, the Lakers and Wayne State were a combined 43-8 this season and won seven of eight GLIAC games last weekend. The Warriors were picked to repeat as conference champions in the preseason poll, while GVSU was slotted fourth, but picked up more first-place votes than any team outside of Wayne State.
 
The sweep for the Warriors puts WSU at 27-4 on the year and 6-0 in conference play, while Grand Valley State is 18-6 overall and 3-3 in league action. GVSU switches to non-conference play on Thursday afternoon, as the Lakers travel to South Euclid, Ohio to take on Notre Dame College at 1:00 p.m.
 
Wayne State notched a first-inning run in game one with an RBI double, but Laker sophomore Courtney Reinhold settled down for the next few innings, as she retired nine consecutive Warriors in the second, third, and fourth stanzas. However, WSU used a pair of home runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to open up the game, including a two-run shot from junior Lyndsay Butler.
 
Butler's afternoon was far from over. The GLIAC Pitcher of the Year during both of her seasons at Wayne State, Butler pitched one of her best games of the season, allowing just one Laker hit. Freshman Rachel Terwilliger notched a two-out double off Butler in the GVSU second inning.
 
After the two homers in the fifth inning, neither team would score again. Reinhold fell to 4-2 on the year, as she gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits. She tossed 4.1 innings and did not allow a walk. Freshman Allison Lipovsky pitched 1.2 innings of one-hit relief.
 
Butler pitched again in game two and the Warriors offense erupted for three runs in both the second and third innings. GVSU got on the board in the fourth inning, as junior Jenna Lenza smacked a two-out double to left center. Classmate Ellie Balbach followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to bring in Lenza and make the score, 6-1.
 
Wayne State closed the scoring in the seventh inning, when Butler hit a two-run home run. After the two wins on Tuesday, the junior righty is 17-2 in the circle on the season.
 
GVSU senior Sara Andrasik (6-2) took the loss, giving up five runs on six hits in 2.1 innings of work. She struck out three Warriors. Balbach allowed three earned runs in 4.2 innings of relief.
 
Lenza went 2-for-3 in game two with the double and run, while Balbach and junior Kelsey Dominguez both singled.
 
After the twinbill at Notre Dame College on Thursday, the Lakers return for four consecutive doubleheaders in Allendale against Ferris State, Northwood, Findlay, and Hillsdale starting on Sunday (Apr. 3).