After a postponed series against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday, March 23 due to heavy snow, the Grand Valley State University Lakers softball team opened up conference play with a doubleheader versus the Purdue University Northwest Pride on Sunday, March 24.
After almost a two week break, the Lakers took on their first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) foe of the season and handled business. GVSU 11-5 in the first game and shutout the Pride for a 4-0 victory in the second.
Although the first two innings of game one were scoreless, there was certainly no lack of action. Multiple bases were stolen by GVSU runners, including senior left fielder Hannah Hollister. In the doubleheader Hollsiter had two hits, three stolen bases, an RBI and two runs scored.
“I was really happy with the whole team effort and us putting runs across early,” Hollister said. “We were really happy with how we attacked the pitches.”
After a slow start, GVSU started to get things going in the third inning. Hollister would be the first to bat and was walked. This is where the floodgates opened up and the hits began to pour in for the Lakers. After a single by junior first baseman Kelsey Komorous, Hollister scored to take a 1-0 lead.
It was just the start of an offensive onslaught that gave the Lakers control of the game. They scored seven total runs in the third inning, with the help of junior shortstop Morgan Spicer’s single to right field that accounted for two RBIs.
The Lakers added four more runs to the Pride’s five, but GVSU’s massive third helped them to a dominant 11-5 win in the first game of the doubleheader.
In the second game, GVSU seemed to pick up right where they left off. Hollister kicked the game off with a single to the left, getting across home a few batters later after an error by the Pride to open up the scoring.
While GVSU still provided consistent run support during the second game, freshman starting pitcher Kylie Swierkos and the Lakers defense made a major difference in the shutout.
“Our pitching did really well today keeping them off,” said GVSU head coach Dana Callihan.
The second inning was scoreless for both sides, However in the third the scoring resumed for GVSU. With the bases loaded for the Lakers, Komorous advanced to first on a fielder’s choice, which resulted in freshman pinch runner Kenedy Coombe scoring.
With a 2-0 lead, GVSU added two runs in the fifth and final inning, getting five different batters on base. A double by Spicer scored junior catcher Liberti Fair, with sophomore center fielder Eliana Eiland coming home on an error shortly after.
The fifth inning became the dagger as neither team scored for the remaining two innings. GVSU would win 4-0 and start conference play 2-0.
“It’s good to be back on the field,” Callihan said. “We were a little rusty in a few things, but for the most part I thought we played pretty well. (We) took advantage of their mistakes and made things happen offensively.”
The Lakers will gear up to face Lewis University in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 27 at 2 p.m. in Romeoville, Illinois. They will then travel to Big Rapids, Michigan for a doubleheader against Ferris State University on Friday, March 29 at 2 p.m.
