Grand Valley State used a 10-hit effort and a strong pitching performance to earn a doubleheader split against Ashland in Ohio on Saturday (Mar. 25). The Lakers collected a 5-1 victory in the opener before dropping game two to the Eagles by a 10-2 score.
 
It was the opening weekend of GLIAC play for Grand Valley State, which fell in a doubleheader sweep at Ohio Dominican on Friday in a pair of one-run defeats. Saturday's split leaves GVSU at 9-13 overall and 1-3 in conference play. Ashland is now 11-12 on the season and 2-2 in GLIAC action.
 
On Tuesday (Mar. 28), Grand Valley State is home for a non-conference twinbill against GLVC opponent Lewis. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at the GVSU Softball Field.
 
Game One (W, 5-1)
 
The opener saw an early pitcher's duel between GVSU's Allison Lipovsky and Ashland's Hannah Stroe, as there was no score after three innings and the teams combined for just four hits during that time.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Lakers struck first with the help of an Eagle error. Senior Ellie Balbach reached on a one-out fielder's choice. Pinch runner Ali Vander Meer moved to second base on a Shannon Flaherty single. With two outs, freshman Kelcie LaTour reached on a fielding error, allowing Vandeer Meer to score and give the Lakers the 1-0 edge.
 
Lipovsky struck out two of the three AU batters in the fifth inning, keeping the one-run lead. In the top of the sixth, LaTour doubled to center field with two outs. Junior Jessica Ramos followed with an opposite field single that scored LaTour for the 2-0 advantage. Lipovsky came out and tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the home half of the sixth.
 
GVSU more than doubled its lead in the top of the seventh. Junior Teagan Shomin led off with a solo homer - her second of the season - to give the Lakers a 3-0 lead. Senior Janae Langs followed Shomin's roundtripper with a triple to right field and scored on classmate Jenna Lenza's RBI single to left field. The score would move to 5-0 when freshman Kayla Plastiak's sacrifice fly scored Lenza.
 
Ashland would finally get to Lipovsky, scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh. The Eagles had the bases loaded with two outs, but Lipovsky induced an infield popup to end the contest. She threw a complete game shutout, giving up one run on four hits. Lipovsky (3-2) walked three batters and struck out five Eagles.
 
Shomin and Lenza each collected two hits, while five different Lakers scored a run in the win. GVSU outhit Ashland by a 10-4 margin and picked up all four extra base hits (two doubles, a triple, a homer) in the opener.
 
Game Two (L, 10-2)
 
Ashland plated a run in the first inning, but the Lakers answered in the bottom of the first. Shomin led off with a single and scored two batters later on an RBI double from Lenza, knotting the game at 1-1.
 
The Eagles moved back ahead quickly with a leadoff solo homer in the top of the second inning off of Balbach, Grand Valley State's game two starter. Ashland led 4-1 in the fourth inning when the Lakers tacked on a run. Flaherty singled to lead off the inning, moved up on two groundouts, then scored on a passed ball.
 
AU would add single runs in the fifth and sixth frames, then post four more runs in the top of the seventh for the final tally. The Eagles outhit GVSU by an 11-7 count in game two, including a 6-1 tally in extra base hits.
 
Balbach (1-6) gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 5.1 innings in the circle. She issued five walks and struck out four. Lipovsky tossed 1.2 innings in relief, allowing four runs on three hits, while walking two and striking out a pair.
 
No Laker had more than one hit in the nightcap, with Lenza's first-inning double being the lone extra base hit for GVSU.