The #7 nationally-ranked Grand Valley State softball team successfully defended their home field in this seasons home opener as they took both games of a doubleheader against the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers. The Lakers got the six-inning victory in the first game of the twin bill for their 20th win of the season before completing the afternoon sweep with a 7-2 victory in the nightcap. 
 
Allison Lipovsky was once again dominant in the circle as she tossed a complete game shutout and struck out 15 of the 18 total batters she faced while issuing just one hit and one walk apiece. She is now 11-1 on the season. In game two, freshman Samantha Gehrls got the nod and earned her second victory of the season after tossing five scoreless innings, allowing no hits and a walk a strikeout each, before fellow freshman Hannah Dieck came in for the final two innings of work. 
 
At the plate, the trio of Shannon Flaherty (3-5), Nikoma Holmen (3-7), and Bailey Thatcher (2-5) combined for nine RBI's – three each – to power along the Laker offense. Freshman catcher Morgan Wagner was a perfect 3-3 on the afternoon while Lydia Goble chipped in two RBI's as well. Kaylie Rhynard and Taylor Rieger both tallied a pair of hits while Brooke Henning and Kaitlyn Plocinski each added a hit as well. 
 
In all, GVSU outhit the Rangers 19-4 to outscore them 15-2 on the afternoon as the GVSU pitching staff held them to just .095 at the plate. 
 
Game One (W, 8-0 – 6 inn.)
Lipovsky came out firing in game one, striking out the side in the top of the first for the first three of her many K's to come. A double play ended the Lakers hopes of scoring in the bottom of the opening inning but Lipovsky picked up right where she left off with two more strikeouts and a fly out to put the Laker bats back up. 
 
Holmen doubled to start the bottom of the second before scoring off the bat of Thatcher who reached on a fielding error by the Ranger second baseman. Flaherty then drew a bases loaded walk to score Kelcie LaTour before Goble launched an RBI sacrifice fly to score Thatcher and put the Lakers up 3-0. 
 
Lipovsky notched two more K's in the top of the third before the Lakers would add another in the bottom of the frame. Rieger knocked a leadoff single before Holmen reached on another Ranger error. With Henning at the plate, Rieger stole third and forced a bat throw from the catcher as she was easily able to score for the 4-0 lead. 
 
After issuing a leadoff walk and then a bunt single, Lipovsky regained her composure at tallied three straight swinging strikeouts. GVSU would add their fifth run in the bottom of the fifth as Henning would cross home plate after singling and then scoring on a Thatcher single down the left field line. 
 
Lipovsky continued to mow down the Rangers as quickly as they could step up to the plate and the game would come to an end with Holmen blasting a no-doubt homer over the left field fence to force the mercy rule victory, 8-0.
 
Game Two (W, 7-2)
It would be quite a quick start to game two for the pitching staffs, as they retired the first 15 batters of the night cap before Flaherty finally broke the hitting drought with a two out single in the bottom of the third. 
 
Gehrls opened the game by inducing six straight groundouts and would hold the Rangers scoreless – and hitless – in her five total innings pitched. 
 
The Lakers got almost all of their work done in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six of their seven total runs during the hit parade. Rhynard reached on a leadoff error and would score after a Rieger single and a Holmen single before Rieger herself would score after a Thatcher single. Rachel Terwilliger would knock another in with a lineout to center field as Holmen hustled home before Flaherty would double to the right center gap to score both Henning and Thatcher. A final Goble RBI single would finish off the scoring as the Lakers went up 6-0. 
 
The Rangers would get one back each in the sixth and seventh innings but it wouldn't matter much as the Lakers even added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as well. 
 
GVSU will be back in action this Saturday, March 30 when they host Purdue Northwest in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 PM.