vs. Davenport Panthers (12:30 PM EST)
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The #1-seeded Grand Valley State softball team used a pair of impressive offensive performances to power their way past #8 seed Ferris State and #5 seed Saginaw Valley State by scores of 10-1 and 10-3, respectively. The pair of wins pushes the Lakers overall record to 42-8 and pit them against a familiar foe in the Davenport Panthers. The Lakers won both GLIAC Tournament games against the Panthers a season ago while they split their regular season matchups this year. 
 
The Laker offense was red hot on a cold and rainy Friday afternoon, as they combined to hit .340 as a team with 18 hits, including five doubles and three triples, while scoring all 20 of their runs via RBI knocks. They also struck out just two times in their 53 at-bats. 
 
Sophomore Brooke Henning had an impressive tournament opening, going 3-5 with a double and a triple while knocking in three runs and scoring two herself. Fellow sophomore Taylor Rieger was 4-7 at the dish with a double and three RBI's to go with her team-high four runs scored while sophomore Nikoma Holmen led the way with five RBI's on a 4-8 performance with a pair of doubles. Freshman Lydia Goble knocked a pair of triples to bring in four runs while senior Shannon Flaherty also drove in four more runs. 
 
In the circle, Samantha Gehrls and Allison Lipovsky combined to toss 12.0 innings where they allowed just nine hits and four runs combined while striking out 19 and walking just four. Gehrls tossed a complete game (5.0 inn.) where she gave up just one unearned run while striking out five Cardinals. In the nightcap, Lipovsky also tossed a complete game, striking out 14 Bulldogs while allowing just two earned runs. 
 
Game One vs. Ferris State (W, 10-1)
It was a quiet start to the game as the first two innings went by without either squad scoring. GVSU would open it up in their third however as they would score four runs on five hits. Henning got it started before Joanna Cirrincione and Kaylie Rhynard would put down two straight bunt singles to load the bases. Rieger then singled to shortstop as two runs crossed the plate before Goble would knock and RBI groundout and Holmen would wrap it up with an RBI single. 
 
FSU would get one back in the top of the fifth when an error allowed a run to cross but it wouldn't matter for two long as the Lakers would open the floodgates with six runs in the bottom of the inning. 
 
Rieger would knock home Cirrincione before another Holmen single would score her a batter later. Kelcie LaTour then walked and Thatcher was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Henning would clear the bases with a three-RBI double to left center to score the final runs of the game and force a mercy rule victory. 
 
Game Two vs. Saginaw Valley State (W, 10-3)
The Lakers wasted no time in game two, putting up six runs on three hits and an error against the Cardinals. Goble got things going with a triple that scored Rhynard before she would score off the bat of Holmen. A few batters later, Morgan Wagner would knock an RBI groundout before Flaherty would knock a bases loaded double to left center to put the Lakers up 6-0. 
 
SVSU would score one in the top of the second but GVSU would make up two more runs in the third when Goble and Holmen would deliver another pair of RBI's for the 8-1 lead. 
 
The Cardinals would tack on one run each in the fourth and fifth but GVSU would push their lead back to seven, 10-3, with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Goble would once again triple to left center to score Rieger before Holmen roped an RBI double down the left field line to put the final nail in the coffin. 
 
Again, GVSU will face Davenport tomorrow afternoon (12:30 PM) in a battle of 2-0 teams.