INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 21 Grand Valley State softball team opened NCAA Regional play with a 1-0 win over the Ohio Dominican Panthers Thursday (May 12) to improve to 41-6 on the season and advance to tomorrow's winners' bracket game against the host Indianapolis Greyhounds at 11:00 AM.
 
Hannah Beatus (W, 19-3) pitched a complete game shutout, scattering three singles, a walk and three hit batters while striking out seven. Ohio Dominican threatened to score in the fifth after a hit batter led off the inning, but a dime of a throw by Morgan Wagner and stellar tag by Lydia Goble caught the speedy runner stealing to remove the threat.
 
The Lakers scored the only run of the game on a two-out rally in the fourth. Goble singled into the hole at shortstop then Taylor Rieger laced a single into right to put a pair aboard, it was one of two hits on the day for Rieger. Kelsey Komorous hit a soft grounder in the hole at short and she busted down the line to beat the throw by half a step. While that was unfolding, Goble raced around third and dove into home to put the Lakers ahead for good.
 
The Lakers will now face Indianapolis, who used a big sixth inning to down Findlay 8-2 in today's opener, in the winners' bracket tomorrow. With a win, the Lakers would advance to Saturday's championship game, a loss would force them into an elimination game at 4:00 PM Friday.