The No. 14 Grand Valley State softball team started off THE Spring Games with a pair of wins over Wheeling Jesuit, 10-0 (5 inn.), and defending national champion Southern Indiana, 2-0. With the wins, the Lakers improve to 5-1 on the season after going 3-1 at the Lewis Dome Tournament to open their season last weekend. GVSU will continue play tomorrow morning (March 4) when they play Wilmington (Del.) at 9:00 AM and Missouri – St. Louis at 11:15 AM.

In their pair of wins, the Lakers combined to knock in 12 runs on 16 hits while making zero mistakes in the field. The pair of Hannah Beatus and Allison Lipovsky combined to give up just three total hits and zero runs in their combined 12 innings of work. 

At the plate, the Lakers were led by sophomore Brooke Henning who combined to go 4-6 with two singles, a triple, and her first homer of the season as she drove in a team-high four RBI's. Sophomore Nikoma Holmen finished the day 3-5 with a pair of RBI's as well while freshman Lydia Goble tallied three RBI's in the Lakers 10-0 win over Wheeling Jesuit with a homer and a single. 

Game One vs. Wheeling Jesuit (W, 10-0 – 5 inn.)
The Lakers took no time jumping out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Kaylie Rhynard led the game off with a bunt and advanced to third after an error on a Shannon Flaherty grounder to second base before being brought in by a Holmen sac fly. Flaherty was then able to cross the plate after Henning's single through the left side, who then scored a batter later when Goble knocked one back up the middle. 

Beatus made quick work in the bottom of the first with a strikeout, groundout, and pop out negated a first batter walk. 

GVSU added three more runs on four hits in the third. Taylor Rieger tripled down the right field line to get things going and quickly scored on a Holmen single through the middle. Goble then delivered a two-run homer to right field – the first of her career – to round out the scoring. Beatus then went 1-2-3 on the mound to send the Lakers back up to the plate. 

Rhynard started the fourth by reaching on an error before stealing second and advancing to third on a Flaherty groundout. Another Wheeling Jesuit error allowed Rieger to reach safely and Rhynard to score. Henning then delivered a two-RBI triple to right field and scored on an error by the centerfielder to put the Lakers up 10-0. 

Beatus was able to shut the Wheeling Jesuit lineup down in the final two innings to secure the five-inning mercy rule victory. She allowed just one hit all game, which came in the second inning. 

Game Two vs. Southern Indiana (W, 2-0)
It was a pitchers duel between Lipovsky and Jenn Leonhardt of Southern Indiana in the first one and a half innings of play as they combined to allow zero hits and four strikeouts before the Lakers finally got a run in the bottom of the second. The first run came on a Henning homer when she blasted on to straightaway center to put the Lakers up 1-0 over the defending champs. 

REPLAY | GVSU vs Southern Indiana

Lipovsky would allow her first hit in the bottom of the third, giving up an inconsequential two-out single back up the middle before inducing a flyout to left. 

GVSU would push across another run in the fourth as Holmen opened things up with a single to right before Henning would push her to second with a single of her own. A sac bunt from Goble would advance a pinch-running Bailey Thatcher to third before a sac fly from Morgan Wagner allowed her to cross the plate for the second run of the game.

Lipovsky would continue to dominate the Screaming Eagles lineup, as she would tally four more strikeouts in her final three innings in the circle and sealed with a backwards K as the Lakers would knock off the defending champs 2-0. 

When the day was over, Lipovsky remained undefeated at 3-0 and her ERA stayed at 0.00 to start the season. Beatus is now 2-1 on the year with a 1.42 ERA and three complete games. Holmen is hitting .650 (13-20) in her first six games this season while Flaherty (.389) and Henning (.389) are also off to blistering starts.

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