It was a day of milestones at the GVSU Softball Field on Thursday afternoon (May 16) as the Lakers (48-8) moved just one win away from the 2019 NCAA DII College Softball World Series, senior pitcher Allison Lipovsky tied a 15-year-old record, and head coach Dana Callihan cemented herself in program history. 
 
After a couple of changes to start time, the Lakers cruised to a 2-1 victory over the Indianapolis Greyhounds (49-16) in first game of a best-of-three series to move just one win away from their first College World Series berth since the 2016 season. The win also went down as Callihan's 200th victory as the head coach of the Lakers, becoming just the second coach to do so in the programs 47-year history. 
 
Lipovsky was dominant in the circle all afternoon, tossing 18 strikeouts, which ties a program record for K's in a game set by now assistant coach Jen Rivera (formerly Mackson) back in 2004. She also held a no-hit bid into the fourth inning and ended up holding the Greyhounds to just three base hits while allowing one run and issuing just a single walk in her 111-pitch effort. The NFCA National Pitcher of the Year Finalist also ties Rivera at the top of the season-season wins list as she improves to an impressive 30-2 on the season. 
 
The Laker offense was held unusually quiet on the afternoon, but got the job done nonetheless after scoring a run in each of the first two innings as they tallied four hits in the contest and played solid defense behind Lipovsky, committing zero errors to the Greyhounds two mishaps in the field. 
 
GVSU scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first after Kaylie Rhynard reached with a leadoff bunt single before stealing second and moving to third on a throwing error by the catcher. A Nikoma Holmen fielder's choice allowed Rhynard to score after a great slide allowed her to miss the attempted tag at the plate. 
 
After Lipovsky struck out the side in the top of the second, GVSU added another run thanks to Shannon Flaherty's fifth homer of the season – and the teams' 46th overall – to put the Lakers up 2-0 after two. 
 
It was relatively quiet the rest of the game, as the teams combined for just five hits over the final five innings. The Greyhounds cut the lead in half in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to center but Lipovsky spun two more K's to secure the one-run victory, 2-1. 
 
The Lakers and Greyhounds will be back in action tomorrow (May 17). First pitch is set for 12:00 PM and the "if necessary" game is scheduled for 2:30 PM.