The #10 Grand Valley State softball team split a doubleheader against the Tiffin Dragons on Sunday afternoon (April 22) at the GVSU Softball Field after the Lakers won game, 11-2, in five innings before dropping a close 5-4 decision in game two. With the split, the Lakers move to 31-7 overall and 18-2 in GLIAC play while the Dragons move to 22-19 and 10-8 in the conference.
 
The Lakers jumped all over Tiffin's starting pitcher Kimmy Reynolds in the first game of the twinbill. GVSU tallied 12 hits en route to their 11 runs scored while Allison Lipovsky limited the Dragon lineup to just four hits and two runs in the contest. With the victory, Lipovsky improves to 15-3 in the circle so far this season.
 
GVSU's bats stayed hot in game two as they tallied nine hits but managed to score only three runs in the first six innings. Tiffin was able to put up a four-spot in the top of the seventh inning to go up 5-3 and the deficit would prove too much for the Lakers to overcome in the end. Grys was tagged with just her second loss of the year as she moves to 11-2 overall this season.
 
Freshman Brooke Henning tallied four hits on the afternoon to lead the way for the Lakers in the box, while Nikoma Holmen, Shannon Flaherty, Teagan Shomin, and Kaylie Rhynard all tallied three hits as well. Holmen and Shomin eached tallied two doubles while Holmen's four RBI were tops on the squad, as was her homerun. Bailey Thatcher, Taylor Rieger, Kelcie LaTour, Kaitlyn Plocinski, and Kayla Plastiak all added a hit as well.
 
Game One (W, 11-2)
Lipovsky came out firing in game one, allowing just one hit while striking out to Dragons and forcing another to pop out. The Lakers got the bats going early as they would score four runs on four hits to start the game. Rhynard stole second base after reaching on a one-out error by the Dragons before Rieger would loop a single into left field to score Rhynard. Holmen then delivered an RBI double to left center and moved to second after a Henning single to right centerfield. Flaherty then delivered a two-out two-RBI single into center for the Lakers final two runs of the inning and the quick 4-0 lead.
 
After a groundout, Lipovsky sat down the next two batters with swinging strikeouts to put the Lakers back up to the plate. Shomin led off with a single to third base before moving to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Rhynard bunt single. Rieger then delivered another RBI, this time in the form of a sac fly that scored Shomin and gave GVSU the 5-0 lead.
 
Tiffin would finally get to Lipovsky in the top of the third inning, as they tallied two runs on two hits, one of which came courtesy of a Laker error. TU's leadoff batter drew a walk before advancing to second on a bunt single before being sacrificed over to third one batter later. The Dragons then delivered an RBI single while an error allowed the second run to come around to score to cut the Laker lead to 5-2. The Lakers would be unable to answer in the bottom of the inning and would that lead into the fourth.
 
Neither team had anything doing in the fourth frame and Lipovsky struck out the side in the fifth before the Lakers would plate six runs to enact the mercy rule for the victory.
 
Flaherty got things going with a leadoff single before moving to second on a wild pitch. Jessica Ramos would then walk and a pinch-hitting Plocinski would deliver an RBI single up the middle. Shomin then drew a walk to load the bases and Rhynard would answer with another single through the left side to score Ramos. A passed ball then allowed Tanner Kiessel to score before Rieger would deliver a sac fly that scored Shomin. Holmen dealt the final blow with a two-run homer to left center field for the Laker victory.
 
Game Two (L, 5-4)
Game two started off quiet as the teams combined for just one hit apiece throughout the first two innings of play.
 
The Dragons broke the silence in the third after they got their leadoff batter on second due to a Laker error in the outfield. A sac bunt then moved the runner to third where she would score after the Dragons laid down another bunt that the Lakers couldn't do anything with. With the bases loaded, Shomin snagged a sharply hit ground ball that almost snuck between her and third base, as she stepped on the bag for the final out and saved at least two runs from scoring.
 
The Lakers quickly answered the Dragons in the bottom half of the inning. Plastiak got on with a leadoff single before stealing second and advancing to third on a Thatcher single down the left field line. Shomin then doubled to left field to score Plastiak and knot the game up at 1.
 
Neither team had anything doing in the fourth of fifth innings and GVSU would add to their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Rhynard reached with a leadoff bunt single before being sacrificed to second by Rieger. Holmen then doubled to right center to score Rhynard before Henning knocked one back up the middle to score Holmen just one batter later for the 3-1 lead.
 
The Dragons would manage to score four runs in the top of the seventh inning however, all of which came with two outs. With runners on first and third, the Dragons singled to left field to score one and cut the lead to one, 3-2. After a hit by pitch, TU drew a walk that tied the game and a Laker error on the next batter would allow two more runs to score as they took the 5-3 lead heading into the final Laker at-bats.
 
Flaherty led off with a single up the middle before Shomin delivered a two-out double to center field, that was a foot short of leaving the park, to put the Lakers within one, 5-4. Rhynard then hit an almost identical flyball but the Dragons centerfielder made a great catch at the wall to end the game.
 
GVSU will have the week off to rest up before they head back out to GVSU Softball Field for their final regular season home doubleheader against the Pride of Purdue Northwest next Saturday (April 28). GVSU will celebrate their five seniors (Teagan Shomin, Tanner Kiessel, Allie Grys, Jessica Ramos, and Courtney Reinhold) for their time in a Laker uniform before the first game of the twinbill. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 PM with game two slated to start at 4:30 PM.