Grand Valley State split a pair of games on Thursday morning in Clermont, Fla., dropping a 3-1 decision to #8 Winona State and defeating regional foe Southern Indiana 6-1. GVSU, which is 9-5 overall and 6-2 on its Florida trip, will square off against Bentley at 9 a.m. and New York Tech at 2 p.m. Friday. 

Game 1 • #8 Winona State

The Lakers squared off against #8 Winona State and dropped a tough 3-1 decision in game 1 Thursday morning. Winona State struck first with a single unearned run in the bottom of the second on a hit batter, a single and then an error after the first two batters were retired. GVSU's 2B Taylor Rieger singled to right to open the inning and advanced to second on a sac bunt from 1B Kelcie LaTour. 3B Teagan Shomin then delivered a two-out single to left to score Rieger, but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to a double. 

Winona State scored a single run in the fifth on two hits and added an unearned run in the sixth on a hit and an error to take a 3-1 lead. 

Senior pitcher Allie Grys (2-1) was tagged with the loss, yielding three runs, one of which was earned, on eight hits with two strikeouts. 

Game 2 • Southern Indiana

GVSU struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third as LF Bailey Thatcher singled to center and Shomin was hit by a pitch. CF Kaylie Rhynard then doubled to left center to plate both Thatcher and Shomin to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. Junior pitcher Allison Lipovsky kept the Eagles grounded, allowing just one hit through the first five innings. 

Thatcher singled to right with one out in the bottom of the fifth, followed by a Shomin double to right. Rhynard was called out on batter's interference. Rieger walked to load the bases and 1B Nikoma Holmen crushed a grand slam to center to give the Lakers a 6-0 lead. 

Southern Indiana hit a solo HR in the sixth, but Lipovsky retired the Eagles in order in the seventh for the win. 

Lipovsky was dominant, allowing one run on just two hits with 12 strikeouts as she improved to 4-2 on the year. Shomin was 3-for-3 with two runs, while Thatcher was 2-for-3 with two runs. Holmen was 1-for-3, but delivered the big blow with her second HR of her career in grand slam fashion.