The #8 Grand Valley State softball team earned a couple of big conference wins – their first two of the season – when they took two games at #15 Wayne State on Saturday afternoon (March 23) as they improve to 18-2 (2-0 GLIAC) on the season. The Lakers will travel to Ashland tomorrow for a pair of games against the Eagles. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM in Ashland, Ohio. 
 
Senior Allison Lipovsky earned her 10th win of the season as she remains undefeated after throwing a complete game, two-hitter against the Warriors (17-6, 0-2 GLIAC) where she struck out 10 and walked just two. Freshman Samantha Gehrls – who was a member of the GLIAC Champion women's basketball team – earned her first win of the season with a five-inning, two-run (one earned), three strikeout performance to open up her collegiate career. 
 
At the plate, junior Kelcie LaTour went 2-4 with three RBI's and a homer while Taylor Rieger (3-8) and Lydia Goble (2-6) added three RBI's as well. Sophomore Brooke Henning and freshman Joanna Cirrincione both scored three runs on the afternoon with Henning adding in two doubles. 
 
In all, GVSU outscored the Warriors 16-2 and outhit them 15-8 while committing just one error in the field. 
 
Game One (W, 5-0)
GVSU took the first game of the twinbill by a 5-0 score as they outhit the Warriors 10-2 behind the 108-pitch effort of Lipovsky. 
 
It was about a quick of a first inning as you could get as both lineups went 1-2-3 but the Lakers would quickly breakthrough in the second. Holmen drew a leadoff walk before making her way to third after Henning laced a double to center field. With runners on second and third with nobody out, LaTour knocked a single into right that scored Holmen and advanced Henning to third where she would race home on a sac fly off the bat of Wagner just one batter later. 
 
Lipovsky continued to own the Warrior lineup as she landed 1-2-3 innings in both the second, third, and fourth before giving up her first of two total hits in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third with just one out, the righty stayed composed and got back to back strikeouts to end the threat and preserve the Laker lead. 
 
GVSU's lead stayed at three as they headed into the seventh but that would quickly change after Rieger delivered a two-run bomb down the left field line – her third of the season – to put the Lakers up five, 5-0. The Warriors would get a runner to second in the bottom of the frame after a walk and wild pitch but a lineout and a final strikeout off the hand of Lipovsky would secure the Lakers 17th win of the season and their first of the conference schedule. 
 
Rieger led the way with three hits in her four at bats to go along with three RBI's and a run scored. Holmen also knocked her team-best seventh double as she went 2-3 with a run scored while Goble, Henning, LaTour, Wagner, and Thatcher all added hits as well. 
 
Game Two (W, 11-2 – 6 inn.)
The Warriors outhit the Lakers in game two, 6-5, but GVSU had the timelier base knocks and some help from fielding errors as they took game two, 11-2, by mercy rule after six innings. 
 
A 1-2-3 first from the Lakers was followed by a three hit, two run, one error inning by the Lakers as Gehrls took the mound for the first time this season. The error started the inning before a bunt single and a single to right scored one. The second run came across one batter later on a fielder's choice play at second base. 
 
The Laker bats came alive in the top of the second though as they scored five runs on five hits to take the lead. LaTour smashed another two-out homer to score herself and Holmen before a two-RBI double from Goble would score Flaherty and Thatcher and a Rhynard single back up the middle would bring Goble across the plate. 
 
GVSU added one in the next inning when a bases loaded error by the Warriors second baseman let Cirrincione jog home as they went up 6-2. 
 
Gehrls would hit a groove and make quick work of the Warrior lineup in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. GVSU would add three in the fifth after three straight walks loaded the bases and a Wagner fielder's choice and error allowed Cirrincione and Plastiak to score before a groundout from Goble scored Flaherty. 
 
The Lakers would secure the victory in the sixth when two straight wild pitches allowed Henning and Cirrincione to score. Freshman Hannah Dieck came in to finish out the bottom of the sixth where she allowed just one hit before closing out the game with a pop out. 
 
Goble would wind up with three RBI's while Cirrincione would score three runs and Henning and Flaherty would add two runs scored as well.