The #10 Grand Valley State softball team earned a couple of conference wins over Purdue Northwest on Saturday afternoon (April 28) in their final regular season home series of the season. The Lakers took game one by a tight 2-0 score before taking down the Pride in game two by a 9-4 margin. With the victories, GVSU moves to 33-7 on the year as well as 20-2 against GLIAC competition. The Pride fall to 24-23 overall and 14-16 in conference action.

The Lakers celebrated Senior Day as part of their final regular season home games before the first game of the doubleheader where Courtney Reinhold, Teagan Shomin, Tanner Kiessel, Allie Grys, and Jessica Ramos were all honored for their contributions in a Laker uniform. 
 
In addition to outscoring PNW 11-4, the Lakers also held the 19-10 advantage in hits, tallying a .373 average in the twinbill compared to the Prides' .192 mark. Freshman Nikoma Holmen had herself a day, as she tallied four hits, five RBI, two doubles, a homer, while scoring two runs as well. Shannon Flaherty also picked up four hits in the contest, collecting two RBI's in her six at-bats. Tanner Kiessel and Jessica Ramos both added three hits to the Lakers total tally while Kaylie Rhynard picked up a pair of singles and Teagan Shomin, Bailey Thatcher, and Brooke Henning all also got a hit.
 
Allison Lipovsky completely shut down the Pride's lineup in game one, as the junior tossed a complete game two-hitter with 14 K's and just one walk, as PNW failed to push a run across home plate. Grys also tossed a complete game in game two, where she allowed eight hits with just one of the Pride's four runs being earned. With the victories the two pitchers improve to 16-3 and 11-2, respectively, on the season.
 
Game One (W, 2-0)
Lipovsky got rolling early in game one, as she struck out the side to start the game. Shomin got on with a leadoff single before moving over to second on a sac bunt from Rhynard. A Rieger groundout then moved her up to third base before Holmen delivered a double to center field for the first score of the game as Shomin scored easily.
 
Lipovsky tallied another strikeout before the first Pride batter put one in play, which was a pop out to shortstop. Another strikeout from Lipovsky ended the top of the second inning. In the bottom of the second, Ramos and Kiessel both tallied two out singles before Shomin got hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs but the Lakers were unfortunately unable to push another run across.
 
The Pride got their first hit of the game in the top of the third inning, with the runner moving into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. Lipovsky quickly shut down the threat with back to back strikeouts however. The Lakers would add another run in the bottom of the frame, as Holmen got ahold of one and homered to straighaway centerfield for the 2-0 Laker lead. It was Holmen's seventh home run of the season.
 
Neither team had anything doing in the fourth or fifth innings as both pitchers were cruising through the respective lineups. Lipovsky then allowed just a double with one out in the sixth inning for the rest of the contest, as she ended up with 14 K's in the game.
 
Game Two
After surrendering a leadoff single to start the second game of the day, Grys induced a 6-3 double play before getting the final out via a pop up. The Lakers got a run up early after Rhynard reached after getting hit by a pitch before scoring on another Holmen two out single to give GVSU the 1-0 lead.
 
Grys then hit her stride in the second inning, striking out the side. Ramos leadoff the bottom of the second inning with a walk before moving up to second on a Flaherty sac bunt. Thatcher then delivered a single to centerfield that scooted past the PNW defender, allowing Ramos to score. Thatcher was able to move up to third on the error and Kiessel laid down a perfect suicide squeeze for the 3-0 Laker lead. Rhynard then delivered a sac fly later in the inning for the 4-0 lead.
 
The Pride would get two back in the top of the third with three straight one-out singles and a Laker miscue. Grys stopped the bleeding with another strikeout to end the inning. GVSU added to their lead in the bottom of the frame as Henning got on with a one-out single before advancing to second on a Ramos groundout. Flaherty then delivered a single to push the Laker lead to 5-2.
 
Grys sat the Pride down in order to start the fourth, getting back to back strikeouts and a popout. Shomin led the bottom half of the inning off with a hit by pitch before moving to second after Rhynard singled through the left side. Rieger then sacrificed both runners over to set up Holmen for a two RBI double to left field. After a Henning walk, Ramos singled through the left side to score Holmen and bump the Laker lead to 8-2. GVSU would score another run in the inning as Flaherty hit another RBI single to score Henning.
 
Grys then got another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth with a pop out, a line out, and another pop out to hold the Pride in check. GVSU also went down in order in the fifth and took their 9-2 lead into the sixth.

Neither team had anything doing in the sixth inning before the Pride started to make a comeback in the top of the seventh inning. After a walk and a Laker error, the Pride notched an RBI single to cut the lead to 9-3. After a pop out for the first out of the inning, Grys surrendered an RBI double to bring PNW within five, 9-4 but struck the next batter out before getting one last ground out to end the late surge. 
 
The Lakers have a packed weekend, as they will turn around and travel to Ashland, Ohio to take on the Eagles tomorrow afternoon before heading to Davenport for a doubleheader on Monday in their final games of the season. The 2018 GLIAC Tournament will take place next weekend (May 4-6) in Sandusky, Ohio.