The Grand Valley State softball team earned a couple of wins on the first day of the 2018 Lewis Dome Tournament in Rosemont, Ill. as they took down both #19 Winona State and Lewis by scores of 7-0 and 5-2 respectively. The Lakers bats were hot at the beginning of each game, as they scored seven of their 12 total runs in the first three innings of each contest. With the victories, GVSU moves to 2-2 on the year with a couple more games tomorrow afternoon. The Lakers will face Illinois Springfield at 4:30 PM (EST) before taking on Missouri S&T at 7:00 PM in their final game of the weekend.
 
Following the final games tomorrow, the Lakers will have the week to rest up before their annual trip down to Clermont, Fla. where they are scheduled to take on 12 different opponents in just six days from March 4th thru March 10th.
 
Game One vs. #19 Winona State (W, 7-0)
After notching 15 strikeouts in her first start of the season, junior Allison Lipovsky picked up right where she left off by getting two strikeouts to start the game before inducing a groundout to set the tone against the #19 team in the nation.
 
Lipovksy's hot start sparked the Laker offense as well, as GVSU opened the game up with a four hit, three-run first inning. Teagan Shomin led off with a single that was followed by a Kaylie Rhynard single and the two advanced to second and third on a throwing error by the Warriors. Kelcie LaTour ripped a single up the middle that plated Shomin and Rhynard to give GVSU the quick 2-0 lead. With LaTour on third and Nikoma Holmen on second after a Shannon Flaherty groundout, Taylor Rieger knocked another one up the middle to bring in LaTour for the Lakers third and final run of an exciting first inning.
 
In a mirror image of the first inning, Lipovsky struck out the first two Warriors for her third and fourth K's, before getting the third batter to once again groundout to second base.
 
The Lakers kept the bats warm in the second and put up another two runs on the board. After a Bailey Thatcher groundout, Shomin connected on her second single before Rhynard was hit a pitch and LaTour drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Holmen put the ball in play and forced an error by the Warriors shortstop that scored Shomin from third before Flaherty bounced one up the middle forcing Winona State to take the out at second base while Rhynard crossed the plate for the second run of the inning. A final groundout to the pitcher ended the Lakers threat but they lead 5-0.
 
In the top of the third and the top of the fourth, Lipovsky recorded three groundouts, two fly outs, and one strikeout to keep rolling through the Warrior lineup.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Rhynard roped a leadoff double down the left field line and eventually scored on a Holmen single to left after a LaTour walk. After the Warriors made a quick pitching change, Flaherty took her first pitch right back up the middle to plate pinch runner Jenna Czart.
 
Lipovsky stayed red hot in the fifth as she tallied another strikeout as well as a popout and groundout. In the sixth, a Warrior runner reached base for the first time all game after an error by the Lakers and with one out in the seventh inning, the Warriors finally tallied their first hit of the ballgame but a final popout and stikeout from Lipovsky sealed the Lakers first victory of the season.
 
Game Two vs. Lewis (W, 5-2)
Batting first as the away team this game, the Lakers kept the bats going and scored two runs in the top of the first against the Lewis Flyers. Shomin got on base to start the game after getting hit by a pitch – which extends her already held hit by pitch record – before Rhynard roped a triple into right center field that easily scored Shomin for the quick 1-0 lead. LaTour grounded out to third base, but a throwing error by the catcher allowed Rhynard to sneak past home plate for the 2-0 lead in the first. The Flyers got out of the jam after forcing two Laker groundouts.
 
Freshman Hannah Beatus gave up two singles in the bottom of the first but quickly found her footing and picked up a strikeout and a couple groundouts to get out of the early jam.
 
A leadoff single from Rieger was all the Lakers could muster in the second inning but they still held on to their 2-0 lead heading into the third after Beatus forced the Flyers into three straight groundouts for a quick second inning.
 
After a Rhynard groundout, LaTour and Holmen connected on back to back singles but a couple of fielder's choice groundballs erased any hopes of more runs for GVSU. Luckily, Beatus was still firing away in the latter part of the inning as she collected two backwards K's and a caught a liner right back at her to dispatch the Flyers in 1-2-3 order.
 
The Lakers would add to their lead in the fourth after Shomin drove in a run after the Lakers got two on thanks to a couple of Flyer errors before a LaTour single would score another just two batters later. Holmen proceeded to reach thanks to another error by Lewis, which allowed Shomin to come around and score for the 5-0 lead.
 
The Flyers would finally get to Beatus in the bottom of the fourth. Their leadoff got on due to a Laker fielding error but would be thrown out at second on a fielder's choice just one batter later. The Flyers managed to string together a hit and another fielder's choice that pushed acrossed their first run before a throwing error by GVSU allowed their second but final run to score.
 
Neither team really threatened in the final three innings and Beatus got her first collegiate win and the Lakers second win of the season.