Grand Valley State dropped a 3-1 decision to Ashland in the opening game of play on Saturday morning (Apr. 30) in the GLIAC Tournament, as the Lakers were eliminated from the league tournament. Ashland jumped to a 2-0 lead and added an insurance run in the seventh inning to top GVSU, despite the Lakers owning a 7-6 edge in hits.
 
Second-seeded GVSU found itself in a second straight elimination game after falling to Findlay (5-0) in the opening game on Friday before the Lakers bounced back to take down and eliminate Hillsdale (6-3) yesterday afternoon. Due to likely incoming rain in the forecast, Saturday morning's game was moved from 10:00 a.m. to an even earlier 8:00 a.m start.
 
The loss drops Grand Valley State to 37-10 on the season, while the Lakers will await their NCAA Tournament fate. Entering the GLIAC Tournament, GVSU was the third seed in the Midwest Region rankings, with the top eight teams advancing to the national tournament. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is at 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning (May 2) and can be viewed on ncaa.com.
 
Fifth-seeded Ashland improves to 27-22-1 with the win and faces Ferris State in another elimination game on Saturday morning.
 
Both teams notched a base hit in the first inning, but neither team was able to push a run across the plate. Junior Jenna Lenza drilled a two-out double off the fence in center field on the 10th pitch of the at-bat. She was stranded at second after an inning-ending groundout.
 
Ashland strung together a leadoff single and a two-out single off Laker starter Courtney Reinhold to score the game's first run, moving ahead 1-0 in the top of the second inning. The score was still 1-0 in the third inning, when sophomore Teagan Shomin led off with a single, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt and third base on a groundout. Ashland pitcher Sarah Alley induced a groundout to end the jam and keep the Lakers off the board.
 
The Eagles moved ahead 2-0 in the fifth inning by scoring a run on three GVSU errors. Grand Valley State, however, put its first two runners on base in the home half of the inning, when sophomore Tanner Kiessel led off with a single and Shomin doubled to left center to give the Lakers two runners in scoring position. A groundout and a popup kept Kiessel and Shomin where they were, but Kiessel was able to race home on a wild pitch to make the score, 2-1. A strikeout ended the inning, but GVSU had cut the deficit in half.
 
Reinhold was relieved by senior Sara Andrasik in the sixth inning and after a leadoff error, she retired the next three batters. In the bottom of the sixth, junior Ellie Balbach reached on a one-out error. Freshman Shannon Flaherty doubled down the right field line, but Balbach was held up rounding third and Flaherty got caught in a rundown as she headed to third base. She was tagged out sliding back into second base, with Balbach staying at third. Alley forced a groundball to again escape the scoring threat.
 
Ashland added another run in the seventh inning to make the score 3-1 and the Lakers were retired in order in their final at-bat.
 
Reinhold (8-4) was saddled with the loss, despite allowing just two runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings. Andrasik gave up one run on three hits in two innings of relief. Both Laker pitchers totaled zero walks and two strikeouts apiece.
 
For AU, Alley improved to 16-8 by scattering one run on seven hits in the complete game win.
 
Flaherty and Shomin each went 2-for-3 with a double, while Lenza had the other Laker extra-base hit. GVSU owned a 7-6 edge in base hits, but committed a season-high five errors.
 
Grand Valley State is now 72-59 in 31 all-time appearances in the GLIAC Tournament, winning at least one game in the last seven tournaments.