ALLENDALE, Mich. – The No. 19 Grand Valley State Lakers opened Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play with a doubleheader sweep of the Parkside Rangers Thursday (March 25) at the GVSU Softball Field in their first home softball game in 678 days. The Lakers won game one, 6-1, before an 8-3 win in the nightcap to move to 11-3 overall and 2-0 in the conference.

The Lakers used a balanced effort in the first game that saw five different players record RBIs and four post multi-hit games. After Parkside scored in the top of the first, the Lakers answered with two in the home half of the inning on an RBI groundout by Taylor Rieger and Hannah Hollister single.
 
Lydia Goble doubled home a run, Nikoma Holmen laced a single through the middle and Bailey Thatcher recorded a sacrifice fly in the third to break the game open. GVSU would tack on one more run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.
 
Hannah Beatus (W, 4-1) hurled five innings, allowing one run on one hit while striking out three. Samantha Gehrls came on in relief and made her first appearance in the circle since 2019, walking three straight batters to start the sixth but stranded the bases loaded before a much simpler seventh to close out the win.
 
The Lakers erupted for four early runs in game two when Hollister unloaded the bases with a two-out triple then scored on a Thatcher hit. The Rangers would get two back in the third, but Holmen answered with a solo blast to straight-away center field for her fourth homer of the year.
 
Ashley Platek (W, 3-1) hurled a complete game, allowing three runs – one earned – on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out six to get the win.
 
The Lakers are back in action on Saturday (March 27) when they host the Ferris State Bulldogs for a doubleheader beginning at 1 PM.