ALLENDALE, Mich. -- The Ohio Dominican softball team dropped two GLIAC contests at Grand Valley State on Saturday afternoon by the final scores of 5-4 and 7-1.

With the two losses, the Panthers fall to 7-27 overall and 3-9 in the GLIAC. The Lakers (25-7, 11-2 GLIAC) defeated ODU for the first time since the 2013 GLIAC tournament, as they moved into first place in the conference.

In the first game, the Panthers got off to a fast start as they scored two runs in the top half of the opening inning. Freshman Taylor Kline (Bellville, OH) started the game with a single and moved to second after a sacrifice.

Sophomore Allie Hinton (Newcomerstown, OH) would walk, and senior Taylor Thomas (Bellville, OH) would single to load the bases. Sophomore Kelly Wallace (Oshkosh, WI) would then drive in Kline and Hinton with a single to right field.

The Lakers would tie the game at 2-2 after scoring a run in the bottom half of each of the first two innings.

Wallace would single again to right field in the third inning, as she drove in Kline for the second time to give ODU its second lead of the day. However, the Lakers would answer with a run in the bottom half to tie the score at 3-3 through three innings. '

GVSU would take its first lead of the contest, 5-3, with two runs in the fifth inning. Junior Kelsey Albanese (Westerville, OH) would hit a home run in the top of the seventh inning to cut into the Laker lead, but that would be the last run for the Panthers in game one, as they fell 5-4.

Just like in the first game, the Black and Gold lit up the scoreboard first the second game.  Sophomore Casey Murdoch (Morrow, OH) would single to right field to drive in Wallace, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead after the first.

The Lakers would take control of the game in the second inning, scoring four runs to take a 4-1 lead. GVSU would keep the Panthers off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, adding three more runs in the sixth to take the second contest, 7-1.

Wallace would end the day with two hits in each game, totaling four, and she added three RBI and one run scored.

Thomas added three hits on the day, including a 2-for-3 performance in the second contest. Thomas and Wallace each now have seven multi-hit games this season.

Senior Brandis Fishel (Gahanna, OH) recorded two hits in the opening game of the day improving her season batting average to .324.

ODU will look to rebound quickly as they travel to Ferris State on Sunday. The Panthers and Bulldogs will play two games, which will start at noon.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu