The Grand Valley State softball team opened its spring trip in fine fashion today with a 6-1 victory over No. 1 ranked, undefeated and defending National Champion Minnesota State in Clermont, Fla. GVSU improves to 4-3 with the win, while the Mavericks fall to 11-1. 

The Lakers struck in the second inning with a double to left off the bat of junior SS Shannon Flaherty. Freshman 2B Taylor Rieger walked, followed by a single up the middle by freshman RF Brooke Henning to load the bases. Senior C Jessica Ramos hit a sac fly to center to score Flaherty. Rieger then scored to give GVSU a 2-0 lead on a failed pickoff attempt of Henning at second base.

GVSU continued to put pressure on Minnesota State offensively, loading the bases in the third on two hits and then collecting two more hits in the fourth. Junior pitcher Allison Lipovsky was stellar from the circle, retiring all 12 batters faced through the fourth. Junior CF Kaylie Rhynard singled reached base on a bunt top open the fifth and then stole second. Freshman DH Nicoma Holmen then delivered the big blow with a 2-run HR to left to give the Lakers a 4-0 lead. The homerun was the first of Holmen's career. 

Minnesota State was held hitless until a single with two outs in the fifth and finally pushed a run across with two hits in the bottom of the sixth. 

Rhynard led off the seventh with another bunt single and 1B Kelcie LaTour singled to left and advanced to second on the throw in an attempt to get Rhynard at third. Senior Tanner Kiessel pinch ran for LaTour and Holmen struck again with a single to center to plate Rhynard and Kiessel and up the Laker lead to 6-1. The Mavericks put two on base in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but Lipovsky induced a flyout and groundout to end the game.

The Lakers pounded out 13 hits in the game, including three hits and four RBI from Holmen. Rhynard, Flaherty, Henning and LaTour each collected two hits for the Laker offense. Lipovsky improved to 2-2 on the season, yielding one run on four hits with six strikeouts.