Grand Valley State took the first game on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 1) in Hillsdale before dropping the nightcap to the Chargers in a road split. The Lakers won the opener by an 8-2 score, while collecting a season-high 17 hits, but fell in game two by a 5-4 final, despite amassing 12 hits in the nightcap.
 
With the split, GVSU is 12-14 overall and 2-4 in GLIAC play, while the Chargers are now 13-16 on the year and 3-3 in conference action. The Lakers are in Detroit on Sunday (Apr. 2) for a doubleheader against #18 Wayne State, starting with first pitch at noon.
 
Game One (W, 8-2)
 
The Lakers only scored in three innings, but a six-run second inning was the difference. Senior Janae Langs reached on an error on the game's opening pitch and classmate Jenna Lenza tallied an infield single two batters later. Another senior - designated player Ellie Balbach - singled into center field to bring in Langs for a 1-0 GVSU lead in the top of the first.
 
After righty Allison Lipovsky worked a 1-2-3 first inning on just 10 pitches, the Lakers increased their 1-0 edge to a 7-0 cushion. Junior Teagan Shomin notched a two-run single to score senior Kelsey Dominguez (who walked) and junior Jessica Ramos (who singled) for a 3-0 advantage. Another Balbach single scored Langs and sophomore Shannon Flaherty singled to right field to drive in Shomin for a 5-0 lead. Freshman Kelcie LaTour delivered a two-run single to left center field to bring in Balbach and Lenza to cap off the six-run frame.
 
Hillsdale got to Lipovsky with single runs in the second and third frames, cutting the score to 7-2. Lenza led off the top of the fourth with a single and moved to second base on Balbach's walk. Another Flaherty run-scoring single brought Lenza around to score for the 8-2 advantage. That would be the final run of the game for either team.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Chargers loaded the bases on Lipovsky, but the reigning GLIAC Freshman of the Year induced a comebacker to escape any trouble and keep the six-run lead. Lipovsky settled into a zone, striking out a pair of runners in the fifth frame, then retiring all six batters she faced in the sixth and seventh innings.
 
With the win, Lipovsky is now 5-2 on the year. In the complete game victory, she allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits. The sophomore tallied four walks and six strikeouts on 124 total pitches.
 
GVSU notched 17 base hits in the contest, with six players recording multi-hit efforts. Out of the 17 hits, only one - a seventh inning double by Langs - went for extra bases. The Lakers left 12 runners on base, while Hillsdale stranded eight runners.
 
Lenza went 4-for-4 with four singles and scored twice. Shomin, Balbach, Flaherty, and LaTour all recorded two hits and two RBI, as Langs collected two hits and two runs. GVSU outhit the Chargers 17-5 in the win.
 
Game Two (L, 5-4)
 
The game was scoreless until GVSU plated a run in the bottom of the third inning. Shomin reached on a fielder's choice and came into score the game's first run on a Lenza double to right center field. The Lakers upped the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning. LaTour doubled to right field with one out and moved up a base on a Dominguez single, then scored on a Ramos sacrifice fly.
 
Hillsdale knotted the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning with a two-out, two-run single off of Balbach, GVSU's game two starter. However, the Lakers regained the lead in the home half of the frame. Back-to-back-to-back one-out singles from Shomin, Lenza, and Balbach loaded the bases and LaTour drove in the go-ahead run, scoring Lenza with an RBI single to left field.
 
The Chargers answered with three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 5-3 advantage, but GVSU threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Flaherty reached on a one-out error and moved to second base on a wild pitch. With two outs, Dominguez singled to center field to score Flaherty for a 5-4 deficit. Hillsdale escaped the jam and ended the game on a groundout.
 
Balbach (2-7) took the loss, giving up 10 hits and five earned runs in 5.1 innings in the circle. She walked two and struck out five. Junior Courtney Reinhold allowed two hits in 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Lenza continued her torrid day by going 3-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI, capping a 7-for-8 doubleheader performance. Shomin, LaTour, and Dominguez all recorded two hits, as the teams were even at 12 hits apiece.