The #10-nationally ranked Grand Valley State softball team finished off their regular season on a high note, as they earned two more victories over the Davenport Panthers on Monday afternoon (April 30). With the pair of wins, GVSU will enter the postseason with a 37-7 overall mark and a 24-2 record against GLIAC competition.
 
With their regular season title, the Lakers will head to Sandusky, Ohio this weekend (May 4-6) as the #1 seed in this year's conference tournament. GVSU is set to play 8th-seeded Ferris State at 10:00 AM on Friday (May 4) in the first game of the day. If the Lakers win that matchup, they will then play at 4:30 PM and if they lose, they will play at 2:30 PM.
 
GVSU racked up 18 hits, compared to DU's seven, while outscoring the Panthers 11-3 in the two contests. Kelcie LaTour and Kaylie Rhynard both posted three hits on the afternoon, while LaTour's four RBI's led the team and Rhynard's two were second. Teagan Shomin, Shannon Flaherty, Nikoma Holmen, and Taylor Rieger all tallied two hits in the twinbill while Jessica Ramos, Brooke Henning, Rachel Terwilliger, and Bailey Thatcher all added one as well.
 
The Lakers switched up their usual pitching order in this one, with Allie Grys getting the nod in game one and Hannah Beatus starting game two as Allison Lipovsky came in for relief in both contests. The change seemed to work however, as the three combined for three total runs (one earned) and seven hits in 14.0 innings, while striking out 18 and walking five. In her five innings of relieve, Lipovsky tallied 10 strikeouts and no walks, while Grys and Beatus both added four K's to the mix as well.
 
Game One (W, 7-0)
Neither team had anything doing in the first inning but GVSU wasted little time opening up an early lead. After a two-out triple to right field off the bat of Flaherty in the second, the Panthers Mallory Teunissen tossed a wild pitch that allowed GVSU to take the 1-0 lead. Grys then allowed just one base runner in the bottom of the frame to preserve the lead.
 
GVSU would add to their lead in the third to the tune of three runs on four hits. Thatcher notched a leadoff single before Rhynard would launch a home run to straightaway center for the 3-0 Laker lead. It was Rhynard's second homer of the season and career. Rieger then picked things back up with another single before a Henning double to right center would score a pinch-running Tanner Kiessel from first base to take the 4-0 lead into the bottom of the inning.
 
Grys kept the Panther lineup quiet in the third inning before Davenport got their first real scoring opportunity in the fourth. A leadoff single and two, two-out walks loaded the bases for DU but Grys induced a pop out to end the scoring threat. The Laker lineup was quiet in the fourth and fifth innings but Terwilliger woke the bats back up with a leadoff double to start the sixth and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly from a pinch hitting Plocinski.
 
Lipovsky came in for Grys in the fifth inning and proceeded to strikeout four of the first six batters she faced heading into the seventh inning. The Lakers managed to tack on a couple of insurance runs in the top of the final inning thanks to a couple of solo homer's from Holmen and LaTour before Lipovsky recorded a groundout and back to back strikeouts to secure the victory.
 
Game Two ()
Shomin started game two off with a leadoff single but the Lakers were unable to push her run across to try to get an early lead. The Panther managed to get a run in their first at bats however, as a two-out single back up the middle was enough to score the runner from second base.
 
GVSU couldn't get anything going in the second inning either, and the Panthers nearly added to their lead in the bottom of the frame. With two-outs and one runner on, a single from the Panther's put runners on first and second before a walk loaded them up but Beatus was able to get a fly out to end the threat and send the Lakers back up to bat down 1-0.
 
Plastiak managed a leadoff walk before moving around to third base for the Lakers best opportunity to score in the game but they failed to push the run across. Beatus zoned in during the bottom of the frame, as she got a quick 1-2-3 inning.
 
Holmen then lead the fourth inning off with a single before being sacrificed over by LaTour. Ramos then grounded out to move Holmen to third where Flaherty delivered a single back up the middle to tie the game at 1-1. The Panthers managed to take the lead again in the bottom of the inning however, as a Laker error would set up a bases loaded situation before the Panthers drew a walk to go up 2-1. Beatus got out of the inning with a groundout to first base.
 
In the top of the fifth, Shomin and Rhynard delivered one out singles before Henning walked to load the bases. After a Laker fly out, LaTour came in with a clutch 3 RBI double to right center to give GVSU the 4-2 lead. Much like before, a Laker miscue early in the bottom of the fifth allowed the Panthers to plate another run to bring the score to 4-3. After loading the bases with two outs once again, Beatus got a looking strikeout to keep the Lakers ahead by one heading into the sixth.
 
GVSU had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth before Lipovsky took over for Beatus to start the sixth. After giving up a leadoff double, Lipovsky got three straight swinging strikeouts to send the game into the seventh inning. Rhynard led off the seventh with a double to left center but GVSU couldn't manage any more hits and took their 1-run lead into the bottom of the final frame.
 
Lipovsky then recorded a 1-2-3 inning to end the Lakers regular season with a victory.
 
Again, GVSU will have a few days off before heading to Sandusky, Ohio for the 2018 GLIAC Tournament on May 4-6. The Lakers first opponent is 8th-seeded Ferris State at 10:00 AM on Friday (May 4).