The #6 Grand Valley State softball team earned not only the doubleheader sweep but also the regular season sweep of the Wayne State Warriors with a pair of wins this afternoon (April 16) by scores of 3-0 and 5-2. GVSU previously earned the twin bill victory over WSU back on March 23 in Detroit, Mich. when the Warriors were #15 in the country by scores of 5-0 and 11-2. 
 
The Lakers will be back in action tomorrow afternoon (April 17) at 3:30 PM when they host the Purdue Northwest Pride in a rescheduled doubleheader at the GVSU Softball Field. 
 
Senior Allison Lipovsky and freshman Samantha Gehrls earned the wins in the circle this afternoon, as they improve to 18-2 and 5-1 on the season, respectively. In game one, Lipovsky tossed a complete game one-hitter where she struck out seven and walked just one as she had the Warrior lineups number all game long. Gehrls got her fifth collegiate win in game two, tossing a complete game eight-hitter. She allowed two runs while striking out five and walking just one. 
 
At the plate, freshman Joanna Cirrincione posted a solid outing, going 3-5 (.600) including her first career triple. Fellow freshman Lydia Goble finished the day 3-6 with two RBI's, a double, and her team-leading 10th home run. Sophomore Nikoma Holmen also tallied three hits on the afternoon while Taylor Rieger notched a team-high three RBI's on the afternoon thanks to a two-run homer and a sac fly in game two. Also tagging hits today were Shannon Flaherty, Brooke Henning, Kaylie Rhynard, and Kelcie LaTour. 
 
Game One (W, 3-0)
It was nothing short of a pitcher's duel between two of the top pitchers in the league. Lipovsky and WSU's Megan Guitar were nearly unhittable through the first five innings of play, as the Lakers combined for just three hits while Lipovsky held WSU hitless. 
 
In fact, Lipovsky was one out away from her second no-no of the season as the Warriors didn't notch their first base knock until there were two outs in the top of the seventh inning. 
 
GVSU used one big inning against Guitar to secure the victory. In the bottom of the fifth, Cirrincione knocked a one-out single before stealing second and being able to trot home thanks to a Rieger homer to straightaway centerfield. Up next was Goble who decided to hit her homer to the opposite field as those two swings would turn out to be the difference in game one. 
 
Reiger finished 1-3 with two RBI's and a run scored while Goble tallied the other RBI and Cirrincione had a solid 2-2 performance. 
 
Game Two (W, 5-2)
After a quick first inning to start the second game, both teams would tally a single run in the second as they got the scoring started early. Back to back doubles from the Warriors in the top of the inning pushed their first run of the afternoon across while the Lakers answered with a Henning RBI single that scored Holmen, who leadoff with a double, to knot things up. 
 
The Lakers would add another in the bottom of the third after Rhynard knocked a leadoff single before stealing second and scoring thanks to a Goble double. 
 
Gehrls had been solid in the circle all game, allowing just a few scattered hits here and there while mostly keeping the Warrior offense in check. 
 
The Lakers would use a big bottom of the sixth inning to put WSU away for good. Cirrincione singled with one-out before a pinch-hitting LaTour would deliver a big double to right center before Terwilliger would put down a great bunt that allowed a speedy Cirrincione to score from third. Flaherty then knocked the next pitch back up the middle to score Henning before Rieger would deliver a long fly ball to left that would allow Terwilliger to tag up and score for the 5-1 lead. 
 
The Warriors would score an inconsequential run in the top of the seventh but Gehrls induced a foul out and final fly out to secure her fifth victory of the season.