The #10-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers took two from the Ashland Eagles on Sunday afternoon (April 29) by scores of 3-0 and 6-1. With the completion of game two in the doubleheader, the Lakers were officially crowned as the 2018 GLIAC Regular Season Champions. The Lakers needed to reach the league minimum 24 conference games played to qualify for the title, which came against the Eagles this afternoon. This is the second title for the GVSU squad in the last two seasons and the 15th in program history. GVSU was also the preseason favorite to take home the title – which is exactly what they did.
 
With the pair of victories, the Lakers are now 35-7 on the season and 22-2 in conference action. The Lakers will face Davenport tomorrow afternoon (Apr. 30) in their final regular season doubleheader before they head to Sandusky, Ohio for the conference tournament on May 4-6.
 
The Lakers racked up 22 hits on the afternoon, which is nine more than the Eagles managed to tally, to hold the advantage at the plate, .361 to .241, en route to outscoring AU 9-1. The Lakers also picked up four doubles and three triples as well. Leading that charge was Brooke Henning, Nikoma Holmen, and Teagan Shomin as they each picked up four hits. Shomin was tied with Jessica Ramos for the team lead in RBI's, as they both tallied two each, while four other Lakers added ribbies as well. Ramos picked up three hits while Bailey Thatcher tallied two and Rachel Terwilliger, Kelcie LaTour, Shannon Flaherty, Taylor Rieger, and Kaylie Rhynard all added one to the total as well.
 
Per usual, the Laker pitching staff was dominant in the twinbill. Allison Lipovsky picked up her 17th win of the season to improve to 17-3 after she tossed a complete game shutout. The junior allowed seven hits while striking out 11 Eagles and walking just one. Freshman Hannah Beatus got the nod in game two where she also tossed a complete game and the Eagles lone run was unearned on the young Laker. Beatus gave up just six hits while striking out six and walking six as well.
 
Game One (W, 3-0)
Game one would start out as a pitcher's duel between Lipovsky and Ashland's Laney Jones, as the pair gave up just four combined hits through the first three innings of play.
 
GVSU broke through in the top of the fourth inning after Henning was put on with a two-out hit by pitch before Ramos delivered a double to left field for the 1-0 lead. Lipovsky continued to befuddle the Eagles in the bottom of the frame to maintain the slip lead.
 
The Lakers kept the bats hot heading into the fifth inning, as they would add two more runs on as insurance. LaTour doubled down the left field line with one out and Shomin would triple a batter later to bring home the pinch running Kayla Plastiak. Rhynard then singled to left field to easily score Shomin from third and give GVSU the 3-0 lead.
 
Ashland would threaten in the bottom of the fifth, as they would rattle off three straight singles to load the bases with no-outs. Lipovsky would buckle down however, as she delivered back to back strikeouts before getting the next batter to pop out to second base and crush the Eagles best scoring opportunity.
 
Lipovsky would allow just one hit in each of the last two innings as the Lakers would take game one, 3-0.
 
Game Two (W, 6-1)
Much like game one, game two would be a back and forth pitching affair for the first three innings, as GVSU and AU were knotted 0-0 heading into the fourth.
 
Once again, the Laker bats got warmed up in the fourth as they would explode for five runs on seven hits. Holmen would double to left center and Henning would move her to third with a single to left field. Ramos then delivered another RBI single, as Henning scored, before Flaherty would smack another single to load the bases. Terwilliger then singled to left center to score Henning and a wild pitch would bring score Plastiak, who pinch ran for Ramos. Thatcher then got in on the party and singled to score Flaherty while Shomin would put one down the left field line to bring in the Lakers fifth run of the inning to go up 5-0.
 
Beatus then made quick work of the Eagles in the fourth inning. The Eagles would threaten in the fifth, as they put runners on first and second with one out but a Beatus strikeout and a groundout would keep the Laker lead at five. The Lakers managed to tack on another run in the sixth, as Shomin would score after getting on with a hit by a pitch and scoring off of the bat of Rieger.
 
The Eagles had another scoring opportunity in the sixth, as they had runners on second and third with two outs but another groundout off the hand of Beatus would end any promise of scoring. AU managed to score an unearned run in the seventh inning but Beatus stayed composed and secured the Laker victory.
 
Again, the Lakers will play at Davenport tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 and 4:00 PM before traveling to Sandusky, Ohio for the conference tournament on May 4-6.