The #7 Grand Valley State softball team earned a couple of big wins over the second-place Northwood Timberwolves on a rainy and cold Tuesday afternoon as they improve to 23-3 overall and 7-1 in the GLIAC. The Lakers took game one in six innings, 8-0, before a back and forth second game saw them sneak away with a 14-13 victory. The Timberwolves fall to 18-13-1 overall and 8-4 in conference action. 
 
Senior righty Allison Lipovsky earned two wins on the afternoon, going the distance in game one before coming in for relief in game two as she improves to 13-1 this season. In the first game, she tossed a complete game five-hitter where she struck out 10 and issued zero walks. Game two saw her pitch the final two innings where she allowed one earned run, stuck out four, and once again walked none. Freshman Samantha Gehlrs notched three innings of work after starting game two, wehre she allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while notching two K's while fellow freshman Hannah Deick went 2.0 IP and allowed two runs on two hits. 
 
Sophomore Nikoma Holmen had herself a day as she went 6-8 with two home runs, a double, and seven RBI's while scoring three runs herself. Fellow sophomore Bailey Thatcher was 3-4 at the dish as she knocked in one runner and scored a run as well. Both Kaylie Rhynard and Morgan Wagner tallied four hits while Brooke Henning and Taylor Rieger went for three each as well. Henning and senior Shannon Flaherty each also knocked in three runners while freshman Lydia Goble knocked in the game-winning runs in the marathon second game. 
 
As a team, the Lakers went 27-65 (.415) with three homers, three doubles, and 19 RBI's while the Laker pitching staff held NU to 16-56 overall (.286). 
 
Game One (W, 8-0 – 6 Inn.)
The Timberwolves led off the first game with a single but Lipovsky mowed down the next two batters before a final foul out ended the threat. GVSU got the scoring started in during their first at-bats as they went up 1-0. Rieger reached on a two-out error before she scored after back to back singles from Holmen and Henning. 
 
Northwood got another hit in the second, this time a one-out double but another pair of strikeouts would send the Lakers back up to bat but they wouldn't be able to get anything going either. 
 
In the bottom of the third, GVSU broke it open with three runs on four hits and a Northwood error as Rhynard led off by reaching on a miscue. She would then steal second before a Reiger triple to straightaway center. Holmen then launched a ball over the fence in right center for another pair of runs.
 
Lipovsky continued to dominate the Timberwolf lineup as she allowed just two hits over her next three innings pitched to set the Lakers up for a big sixth inning. Rhynard knocked a one-out double before Rieger would reach on an error and Holmen would double to right center to score both of them and put the Lakers up 6-0. Holmen would then score herself after an error in right field before Wagner delivered the walk-off single to score Henning and enact the mercy rule victory, 8-0. 
 
Game Two (W, 14-13)
Northwood jumped out to an early lead in game two thanks to a two-run homer after a leadoff error. A double play and lineout would end the early threat as Gehrls would get out of it. The Lakers would get one back in the bottom of the frame after Holmen delivered a two-out single to score Rhynard who reached with a bunt. 
 
The Timberwolves would lead the second off with a single up the middle and a double to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Gehrls notched a strikeout before Rieger made a great throw home on a groundball back to her to get the second out. A final strikeout would end the threat and set up a big inning for the Lakers. 
 
Wagner would lead things off with a single before Thatcher walked and Cirrincione knocked a single that led to a throwing error by the catcher which allowed a pinch-running Rachel Terwilliger to score. Flaherty then knocked an opposite field home run to score Cirrincione and Thatcher and put the Lakers up 6-2. Goble then reached on another error and advanced to third before a wild pitch would bring her home. Henning would then single up the middle a few batters later and score Rhynard before Thatcher would knock an RBI single into left. Cirrincione rounded out the eight-spot with a sac fly to centerfield. 
 
The Lakers would add one in the bottom of the third when Henning would double to left field to score Rieger but the Timberwolves would answer in a big way with an eight run fourth inning to tie the game at 10-all. 
 
GVSU would retake the lead, 12-10 in the bottom of the fifth after Rhynard reached on a walk and moved all the way around to third after two wild pitches before Holmen would blast her second homer of the day, this time a no-doubter to left field. 
 
Lipovsky would come in for Diecks who replaced Gehrls in the fourth to try to shut the Timberwolves down but would surrender a three-run homer as the lead once again changed, this time with the Timberwolves going up 13-12.
 
GVSU would answer in the bottom of the sixth however. Cirrincione and Flaherty managed to get on second and third with two outs before Goble delivered a huge 2 RBI single through the left side which would put the Lakers up for good, 14-13. Lipovsky would give up a leadoff single but would get a pop out and two straight K's for her second win of the day.