Iowa Lakes Community College softball team put up 26 runs in two games to earn a sweep on their first weekend out. Both Meagan Reyes and Lexus Gorospe earned wins in the circle. Offensively, the Lakers put up 36 hits, including homeruns from Taylor Beane (2), Tianna Soto, Paige Springer, Kailey Maksim, and Alison Laubenthal.
Game 1: ILCC (13), SCC (5)- 6 innings
The Laker offense came out swinging, putting up four runs in the top of the first. Mary Kelly singled, while Maksim drew a walk. Beane the crushed a ball over the left field fence to give the Lakers a 3-0 lead. Not to be outdone, Soto followed with a solo homerun to center.
The score remained 4-0 until Southeast pushed one run across on a couple of Laker miscues in the bottom of the second.
The top of the third saw three consecutive hits off the bats of Maksim, Beane, and Soto to score one and put runners at second and third. A wild pitch by the Storm allowed Beane to scamper home and put the Lakers up 6-2. Springer followed with a ground ball out to the pitcher, but Soto scored on the play.
The Lakers saw their lead diminish, as Southeast put up four runs in the bottom of the third. They did this with three singles and a double. Reyes stopped their momentum with a clutch strikeout.
With the score 7-5, Kelly got things going for the Lakers in the top of the sixth. She led off with a single and quickly stole second. Maksim then walked before Beane loaded the bases with a single to third. With two outs and the bases loaded, Springer stepped up big time for the Lakers, jacking a grand slam over the left field fence. Buntrock continued the rally with a single before Madison Brevik walked. Reyes then hit her third hit of the game to score Buntrock and advance Brevik to second. Gorospe followed with a bunt single that was then misplayed by Southeast to allow Brevik to score and put the Lakers up 13-5 going into the bottom of the sixth. Reyes got the first two storm batters by herself, before finishing the game with a fly out to Soto in right.
The Lakers blasted 17 hits in six innings, scoring 13 runs. Reyes and Beane were each 3-4, while Gorospe, Kelly, Soto, Springer, and Buntrock all had a multi-hit game. Reyes went the distance for the Lakers, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits, while striking out ten.
Game 2: ILCC 13, SCC 12
Iowa Lakes took the quick lead in game two, scoring one run on a Maksim homerun. Southeast took their first lead of the series in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs on three hits and one walk.
Buntrock got things rolling for the Lakers in the second inning with a leadoff single. Laubenthal singled as well, before both runners scored on a Gorospe triple. Kelly kept the hot bats going with a single to score Gorospe. She then stole second and advanced to third on a Storm error. Maksim doubled to score Kelly before Beane hit her second homerun of the day to put the Lakers up 7-3. Soto then singled and scampered to third on a Gabby West single up the middle. Buntrock grounded out to the shortstop to score Soto before Brevik flew out to left to end the inning. With the Lakers up 8-3, Gorospe put the Storm batters down in order letting her defense work and recording one strikeout.
With two outs in the top of the third, Kelly again was the spark plug for the Lakers smacking a double to center. Maksim then recorded her sixth hit of the day, scoring Kelly. Beane singled and Soto loaded the bases with a walk. Maksim then scored on a wild pitch to put the Lakers up 10-3. Southeast showed some life in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on a Laker error to score one run.
Buntrock again led things off with a single before Laubenthal hit a two-run homerun to put the Lakers up by eight. Gorospe again sent the Storm down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning.
With the eight-run rule in effect, Southeast scored one run in the bottom of the fifth off a walk and double to force more innings.
The score remained 12-5 until the top of the seventh, which saw a Kelly triple and a groundout from Maksim to score a much-needed insurance run. The Storm the put up seven runs in the bottom of the seventh to give the Lakers a scare. They did this on two hits, two walks, one hit by pitch, and two Laker errors.
Gorospe picked up her first win of the season, allowing 12 runs, four earned. She allowed nine hits and four walks, while striking out six. Beane led the way at the plate, going 4-5 with two runs scored. Kelly, Maksim, and Soto each had three hits in the game. Kelly also had two stolen bases, while Maksim had four runs batted in.
The Lakers are now 2-0 on the season. They will continue their road trip at Cloud County tomorrow, March 7th, where they will play three games. They will take on Central Community College, Southeast Community College, and Cloud Community College.
Photo ID: Photo of sophomore, Tianna Soto, hitting.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Head Softball Coach, Katie Larson, at (712) 362-8367 or the Iowa Lakes sports information office at (712) 362-7928.
Photography Credit: Cecil Ramsey Photography