EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The skies opened up and the Grand Valley State softball team's biggest rally of the day had to pause, but never recovered in a 2-1 loss to the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles Thursday (May 19) in the first game of the best-of-three NCAA Midwest Super Regional. The Lakers drop to 43-7 on the season and will need to win two games Friday (May 20) to keep their season alive and advance to the Women's College World Series.
 
After Southern Indiana used a pair of two-out singles to scrape across the game's first runs in the fifth, the Lakers looked poised to respond in a big way. The first three all reached and Taylor Rieger advanced the runners, including pushing Kaitlin Lynch across the plate, to get on the board and the potential tying and go-ahead run in scoring position with one out in the sixth.
 
Then, Mother Nature intervened. Lightning within the NCAA's mileage guidelines forced a halt in the action, which would last nearly two hours. When play finally resumed, USI changed pitchers and got back-to-back strikeouts to thwart the threat. Neither team would threaten again as the otherwise quick game lasted just 1:42 with a 1:54 delay.
 
Hannah Beatus (L, 23-4) allowed the two runs on five hits and five walks while hitting a batter. The two-out rally featured a Texas-Leaguer just past the shortstop then a ground ball single through the hole. Allie Goodin (W, 16-3) scattered three hits while seemingly every hard hit ball off the Lakers' bats found leather.
 
The Lakers will look to find some holes and save their season by taking two from the region's top seed on Friday and punch their ticket to a third straight Women's College World Series.