Live Stats (vs. UIS & MST)

The No. 16 Grand Valley State softball team split a pair of eight inning games to open the 2019 season after falling to Lindenwood earlier today (Feb. 22), 5-4, before earning a 1-0 victory over No. 15 Winona State in the nightcap. GVSU will be back in action tomorrow (Feb. 23) as they close out the Lewis Dome Tournament with a pair of contests against No. 12 Illinois Springfield (4:30 PM ET) and Missouri S&T (9:00 PM ET). 
 
Senior Allison Lipovsky earned the victory over the nationally-ranked Warriors in the second game while sophomore Hannah Beatus was stuck with the loss in the first game of the day. Against Lindenwood, Beatus threw a complete game (7.2 innings), striking out seven and walking just two, while three of the Lions five runs were unearned due to five errors by the Lakers in the field.
 
Lipovsky threw an eight-inning gem to move to 1-0, allowing just two hits behind nine strikeouts and two walks. 
 
The Laker offense racked up 12 hits, including two doubles and a homer, on opening day as they were even in scoring with their opponents, 5-5. Sophomore's Taylor Rieger and Nikoma Holmen were both 3-8 (.375) on the day and accounted for all three of the Lakers extra base hits as Rieger went for two doubles and Holmen launched the long ball. They each tallied an RBI apiece while fellow sophomore Brooke Henning led the way with two, including the game-winner in game two against the Warriors. 
 
Senior Shannon Flaherty tallied two hits herself in her six plate appearances, while Henning, Bailey Thatcher, Lydia Goble, and Kaylie Rhynard all got hits as well. 
 
Game One vs. Lindenwood Lions (L, 5-4)
The Lakers were the away team in game one and were sat down in order to start things off. The Lions threatened in the bottom of the frame after a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second with one out. After advancing their runner to third on a groundout, Flaherty earned the final out on a routine ground ball. 
 
Holmen would open the second with the first run and RBI of the season for the Lakers thanks to a blast to left field that put GVSU up 1-0. Lindenwood would strand two runners in the bottom of the second but would make up that one run in the bottom of the next inning after a leadoff double and a one out single would be enough to push a run across. 
 
The Lakers would go up 2-1 after the fourth inning saw Rhynard lead off with a single before being brought all the way around by a Rieger double. That lead wouldn't last too long however as the Lions would push two across in the bottom of the fifth after two Laker errors. A leadoff single and two straight errors would allow both runs to come around before Beatus induced a fly-out and a strike out to end the bleeding. 
 
GVSU would tie things up in the sixth after Rieger led off with a single to left center before an error off of Holmen's bat would push her to third. Henning then flew out but hit it deep enough to allow Rieger to tag up and knot the game at 4-4. 
 
Neither team had anything doing in the seventh as they headed to the eighth still tied at 8-all. The international tiebreaker rule – which places a runner on second base with no outs to start extra innings – helped GVSU push across a run in the top of the frame after a Rhynard bunt caused a collision at first base that allowed Goble to score. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Lions bunting game was nearly perfect as they pushed across one run after three straight bunts before a single to center ended things with the Lakers down, 5-4. 
 
Game Two vs. McKendree (W, 1-0)
After issuing a four-pitch walk to start the game, Lipovsky induced a pop out before recording back to back strikeouts to get out of the jam. Despite two hits in the bottom of the frame, the Lakers left both stranded as the score would remain 0-0 after one. 
 
The Warriors wouldn't record a hit until the top of the fourth after a one out single but it was definitely a pitching duel as the Warriors Liz Pautz was on her game as well. After stranding a few runners here and there, the Lakers and Warriors would both still be scoreless at the end of regulation. 
 
As the away team in extras this time, Lipovsky shut things down in the top of the eighth with a pair of K's and an easy pop out sent the Lakers up to the plate with a chance to win it. Once again, the international tie breaker put a runner on second and Henning delivered a one out single to right field that allowed Flaherty to score and secure the upset over Winona State.