The Grand Valley State softball team fell to McKendree twice in their season-opening weekend by scores of 4-2 and 12-5 down in Lebanon, Ill. The Lakers will head back to Allendale with an 0-2 record while the Bearcats improve to 4-1 on the season.
 
Allison Lipovsky and Hannah Beatus get stuck with the losses to start the season. Lipovsky tossed six innings while giving up four runs in the first game of the doubleheader while Beatus was roughed up in her first collegiate start after giving up six runs in three innings of work in the second game. Allie Grys was saw action in three innings, giving up six runs as well.
 
Offensively, senior Teagan Shomin went 3-7 with a homerun on the weekend while Taylor Rieger was 2-5 in her first game in a Laker uniform. Kaylie Rhynard and Kelcie LaTour both posted 2-6 outings at the plate, while Shannon Flaherty and Nikoma Holmen picked up hits as well.
 
Game One (L, 4-2)
In game one of the doubleheader, the Lakers outhit the Bearcats, 7-5, but McKendree managed to string their hits together in the fourth inning, where they scored all four of their runs in the game.
 
The Lakers got off to a hot start in the top of the first inning after Shomin and Rhynard opened up the season with back to back singles. A Passed ball moved Shomin to third and Rhynard to second before LaTour poked another single to score Shomin and collect the first RBI of the season. Holmen picked up her first collegiate RBI after reaching on a fielder's choice to the pitcher that scored Rhynard who had advanced to third on LaTour's single. In the bottom of the inning, Lipovsky struck out the side to give the Lakers the 2-0 advantage after one.
 
Neither team would threaten in the second but GVSU would pick up two hits in the third and advance a runner to third before a groundout ended the half innings. The Bearcats would finally collect their first hit of the contest in the third but Lipovsky would strike out two and a groundout put an end to the innings.
 
Two swings in the fourth inning would wind up being the deciding factors in the game, as they would cut the Laker lead in half with a leadoff homer. A single and double would put two on with one out before a three-run shot from the Bearcats Lowry would put them up 4-2.
 
The Lakers managed just two more hits over the final three innings and would never really threaten the Bearcat lead. Shomin and LaTour led the team with two hits apiece while Shomin and Rhynard accounted for the Lakers only two runs scored.
 
Game Two (L, 12-4)
Shomin walked to start game two and Rhynard put down a sac bunt to advance her over to second but a couple of groundouts ended the Laker threat in the first. The Bearcats put a runner on with a one out walk before another homerun, this time for two runs, put McKendree up 2-0 early in game two.
 
In the top of the second, Shannon Flaherty laced a double to left center before coming around to score after a Rieger single found its way through the left side to cut the score to 2-1 with no outs. Shomin blasted a three -un homerun that scored Rieger and Kayla Plastiak, who walked in the previous at-bat, to give the Lakers the 4-2 lead.
 
After giving up a double and a single to start the bottom of the second, freshman Hannah Beatus induced a flyout before Flaherty made a great play and threw a runner out at home for the second out of the inning. Beatus got out of the inning after throwing the next batter out at first base.
 
The Lakers got another one in the fourth after Holmen reached on an error by the Bearcats second baseman and advanced to second on a walk from Flaherty before moving up to third on a wild pitch. The freshman scored after Bailey Thatcher hit one on the right side that forced the Bearcats to take the out at first.
 
Unfortunately, the Bearcats put up four runs themselves in the bottom of the third to take the 6-4 lead. The Bearcats Hayden scored after leading off with a single before a bases loaded walk pushed the second run past and a two RBI single to centerfield accounted for the other two runs.
 
GVSU was no-hit the final four innings of play while the Bearcats managed a couple more big innings, scoring three runs in both the fifth and sixth for the 12-4 victory.
 
The Lakers will be back in action next weekend (Feb. 23-24), as they are slated to head down to Rosemont, Ill. for the annual Lewis Dome Tournament. GVSU will take on Winona State and host school Lewis on Friday before games with Illinois Springfield and Missouri S&T on Saturday.