Similar to Saturday's (Apr. 8) doubleheader sweep over Findlay, the Grand Valley State softball team won both ends of its home doubleheader against Tiffin on Sunday (Apr. 9) in drastically different ways. Senior Jenna Lenza hit a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the opener 1-0, which helped spur on the Laker offense to score 11 runs and notch a mercy rule win in the nightcap, 11-3.

It was a strong weekend at home for GVSU, as the Lakers went 4-0 and outscored Findlay and Tiffin by a combined 24-7 margin. With the victories on Sunday, Grand Valley State is now 17-15 on the year and 7-5 in conference play. The Lakers are 8-2 in their last 10 games and now tied with three other teams for fourth place in the GLIAC standings. Tiffin falls to 14-19 overall and 1-7 in league action.

GVSU heads on the road three times this week, as the Lakers play at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday (Apr. 11) and close out the weekend at Northwood and Saginaw Valley State on Friday and Saturday (Apr. 14-15).

Game One (W, 1-0, 8 inn.)

The opening game was quite a pitcher's duel between Grand Valley State sophomore Allison Lipovsky and Tiffin junior Kimmy Reynolds, as neither team would score a run in regulation. Lipovsky recorded a pair of strikeouts in the first inning and added two more strikeouts the next two innings, not allowing a base hit until a one-out bunt in the fourth frame. She responded by notching a strikeout and a popup to end the inning.

Tiffin put its leadoff hitter on base with a single from April Bennett in the top of the fifth inning. Lipovsky struck out the next batter and on the same play, Bennett was thrown out at second base to complete the strikeout-thrown out double play. Lipovsky struck out the next batter looking to keep the game scoreless.

Neither team created much of a scoring chance the next few innings, so the game went into extras. Lipovsky sat down the Dragons 1-2-3 in the eighth, adding two more strikeouts to her total.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Reynolds retired the first two Laker batters. On an 0-1 count with two outs, Lenza delivered a blast to left center field that cleared the fence for a walk-off, game-winning, solo homerun. It was Lenza's third roundtripper of the year and her second walk-off homer of the season, having also defeated Lewis 3-2 with a game-winning blast on Mar. 10 in Clermont, Fla.

GVSU outhit Tiffin 6-3, with Lenza's first-inning double and walk-off home run being the only extra base hits of the contest. She was 2-for-4, as was senior Jana Langs, who added a stolen base.

Lipovsky (7-3) earned the complete game victory, allowing only three hits in eight innings of work. She did not allow a walk and struck out 11 Dragons in her 100-pitch effort. This season, Lipovsky has thrown 10 complete games and five of those outings are shutouts. The reigning GLIAC Freshman of the Year allowed only seven hits this weekend, all of which were singles.

Reynolds for Tiffin drops to 6-7 on the year. She gave up one run on six hits in 7.2 innings of work. The Dragon hurler walked two and struck out six.

It was the first extra-inning game at home for GVSU since Apr. 18, 2014, when the Lakers coincidentally defeated Tiffin, 3-1, in 10 innings.

Game Two (W, 11-3, 5 inn.)

While both teams struggled to score in game one, Grand Valley State and Tiffin plated two runs apiece in the first inning of the nightcap. Two runs came home for the Lakers on an infield single from sophomore Shannon Flaherty, as Langs scored on the hit and Lenza raced home on a throwing error. Tiffin knotted the game up in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs on a Laker error and a sacrifice bunt.

GVSU responded with five runs in the top of the second inning to take a 7-2 lead. The Lakers scored five runs on five hits, along with two Dragon errors, with the big blow coming on a two-run single to left center for freshman Kelcie LaTour. Langs added an RBI single and Flaherty delivered a sacrifice fly in the inning, as well.

Lenza led off the fourth with a double to left center field and scored when LaTour hit a sharp single back up the middle, raising the Laker lead to 8-2.

It was 8-3 in GVSU's favor in the fifth, when junior Tanner Kiessel tripled to left center field, scoring pinch runner Ali Vander Meer on the play. Langs followed with a double down the right field line to bring in Kiessel for a 10-3 cushion. A few batters later, LaTour picked up another RBI, scoring Langs with a single to left center field and an 11-3 advantage.

Juniors Courtney Reinhold and Allie Grys shared time in the circle in game two. Reinhold (4-4) picked up the win and allowed two unearned runs on four hits in three innings. She did not issue a walk. Grys was pitching for the first time since Mar. 19 at Purdue Northwest and the transfer gave up one run on three hits in two innings of relief, as she struck out two Dragons.

Langs went 4-for-4 with a double, three runs scored, and a pair of RBI, while LaTour was 3-for-4 and collected four RBI. Like Langs, Lenza doubled and also scored three times and finished 2-for-3. Kiessel notched a 2-for-3 effort with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored. Flaherty received a pair of RBI.