The defending Midwest Region champions began the 2017 season with a pair of shutout victories at the Lewis Dome Tournament in Rosemont, Ill. on Friday (Feb. 24). #4 Grand Valley State earned an 8-0 mercy rule victory over Missouri S&T before tallying three early runs in a 3-0 win over Illinois Springfield.
 
It was the opening weekend of the year for the Lakers, who advanced to the College World Series at the end of the 2016 season for the third time in school history. GVSU brings back 14 letterwinners and seven starters from that 43-13 team, with three of the team's four pitchers from last year.
 
Two of those hurlers - sophomore righty Allison Lipovsky and senior lefty Ellie Balbach - kept the Laker opponents off the scoreboard on Friday. Lipovsky blanked Missouri S&T, struck out nine batters in six innings, and allowed just two hits and two walks. Balbach followed against Illinois Springfield with a three-hit shutout in seven frames, walking two and giving up three hits.
 
Grand Valley State - who moved from #6 in the opening NFCA Top-25 poll and is up to a tie for #4 this week - is 2-0 on the year and will face Wisconsin-Parkside and William Jewell on Saturday evening. Missouri S&T is now 4-6, while Illinois Springfield is 4-4.
 
Game One - Missouri S&T (W, 8-0)
 
Lipovsky allowed a pair of first inning walks to the Miners, but struck out the remaining three batters to escape the jam. She added three more strikeouts and a 1-2-3 fourth inning to keep the game scoreless.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, GVSU crossed the plate for the first time in the new season. Balbach reached on a fielder's choice with one out and two batters later, freshman Kayla Plastiak recorded her first collegiate hit with a two-run homer to put the Lakers ahead 2-0.
 
After another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth frame with a pair of Lipovsky strikeouts, GVSU added four runs on five hits. Junior Teagan Shomin tallied an RBI double to score classmate Tanner Kiessel, who opened the frame with a single. The Lakers loaded the bases and Balbach drove in a run with a single through the infield, making the lead 4-0.
 
Plastiak again delivered with an RBI single to score senior Jenna Lenza, who walked earlier in the inning. A bases loaded walk to freshman Kelsie LaTour upped the advantage to 6-0.
 
The game would end in the bottom of the sixth inning when Balbach's two-run single to right field scored both senior Kelsey Dominguez (single) and Shomin (reached on an error), capping the game at 8-0.
 
Lenza went 3-for-3, while Dominguez was 3-for-4 to lead the 14-hit barrage. Balbach (2-for-4, two runs) and Plastiak (2-for-3) each drove in three runs, while Shomin went 2-for-4, tallied an RBI, and scored twice in the win. Lipovsky moved to 1-0 on the year, allowing just a pair of singles in the second and third innings.
 
Game Two - Illinois Springfield (W, 3-0)
 
GVSU received all the offense it would need in the bottom of the first inning against the Prairie Stars, with some help from the Illinois Springfield defense. Shomin hit a short line drive into left field for a single, but the UIS outfielder misplayed the ball and it rolled to the fence. Shomin raced around the bases and was able to score on the three-base error for the game's first run.
 
Lenza smacked a one-out double to left center field, which was followed by Balbach's RBI double to left center to make it 2-0. Two batters later, Plastiak notched the third RBI of her opening day of collegiate softball with a single to bring Balbach across the plate for a 3-0 advantage.
 
Balbach was in the circle in game two and came out with a 1-2-3 second inning after the Lakers plated three runs in the opening stanza. GVSU posted a pair of hits in both the second and third innings, but were unable to build on its lead.
 
From the third through sixth innings, Balbach retired nine straight UIS batters, including perfect innings in the fourth and fifth frames. Illinois Springfield managed only singles in the third, sixth, and seventh innings against the lefthander. In moving to 1-0, Balbach recorded eight groundball outs, six outs in the air, and six strikeouts.
 
Balbach was also 2-for-3 in the circle with a run and an RBI, while Lenza also went 2-for-3 and scored once. The Lakers outhit Illinois Springfield by a 9-3 margin. In the two games, GVSU notched a 23-5 hit advantage and did not commit an error.