Iowa Lakes Community College softball went 1-2 on Saturday at the Cloud County Tournament. The dropped game one to Central Community College 10-1, beat Southeast Community College 11-0 in six innings, and lost 6-5 in nine innings against Cloud County. The Lakers are now 3-2 on the season.  

Game One: ILCC 1, CCC 10 (5 innings) 

The Lakers could only muster up one run on four hits in their first game of the day. They did this in the bottom of the first when Mary Kelly hit a one out single to left. She then stole second and third before scoring on a ground out off the bat Kailey Maksim.  

Meagan Reyes took the loss for the Lakers, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings. Isabelle Karr pitched the final 2.2 innings. She allowed two earned runs on three hits and one walk. She struck out four batters. Kelly led the Lakers at the plate, going 2-3 and stealing two bases.  

Game Two: ILCC 11, SCC 0 (6 innings) 

The bats came alive for the Lakers in game two, scoring 11 runs on 17 hits. Lexus Gorospe got things started when she was hit by a pitch. She advanced to second and third on two straight ground ball outs. Taylor Beane then singled to left to score Gorospe and put the Lakers on the board. 

Neither team could get any offense going, until the Lakers got things rolling in the top of the fifth. Kelly singled before advancing on a Kailey Maksim single. Beane then doubled to center to score Kelly and put runners at second and third. Reyes followed with a single to right to score Maksim. Meagan Reyes then stole second before being thrown out at third on a fielder's choice off the bat of Kamryn Buntrock, scoring Beane. Buntrock stole second and then scored on a Gabby West double putting the Lakers up 5-0. 

The Lakers broke things open in the top of the sixth, scoring six runs. Madison Brevik led things off with a walk and then used her wheels to steal second. Gorospe then doubled to left center to score Brevik and then scored herself on a Kelly single to right. Maksim then lined a ball over the center field fence, that was followed by a Beane solo shot. With the Lakers now up 10-0, Reyes kept things going with a single and advanced to second on a Buntrock groundout. With two outs, Alison Laubnethal singled to center to score Reyes for the final run of the game.  

Madison Brevik did a great job in the circle, keeping the Storm batters off balance all day. She pitched all six innings, allowing zero runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out eight. Taylor Beane and Kailey Maksim were each 3-4, combining for five runs batted in and four runs scored. Gorospe, Kelly, Reyes, Buntrock, and Laubenthal each had two hits for the Lakers.  

Game Three: ILCC 5, Cloud County 6 (9 innings) 

The Lakers struck first in game three. Gorospe and Maksim each took a walk before Beane hit a sacrifice fly to advance Gorospe to third. Reyes then drove in her first run of the game with a single to left to put the Lakers up 1-0. 

The score remained 1-0 until the top of the third when Gorospe again started the offense, this time with a leadoff double. Maksim then advanced Gorospe on a ground out. Beane followed with a single to left to score Gorospe and make the score 2-0. Cloud County tied the ballgame up in the bottom half of their inning on a Laker error and two hits.  

The Thunderbirds took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth, when they put up two runs on a walk and two doubles. 

Iowa Lakes quickly answered in the top of the fifth with Gorospe again leading the offense. She drew a walk and advanced to second on a Maksim ground out. She then stole third and scored on a Beane single to center.  

Cloud County extended their lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth when they scored one run on two outs. They did this on a triple and single.  

With their backs against the wall, the Lakers answered in the top of the seventh. Back to back walks from Gorospe and Maksim. Laubenthal entered the game to pinch run for Maksim. Both runners stole to put runners at second and third with nobody out. With one out, Reyes drove in her second and third run on a single to center to tie the ballgame up at 5-5. The Lakers shut Cloud County down in the bottom of the seventh, forcing three straight ground outs. 

Playing international tie breaker, neither team scored in the eighth inning. The Thunderbirds won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a single to end the game with a score of 6-5. 

Meagan Reyes took the loss for the Lakers. She pitched all eight innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on ten hits and one walk. She struck out five Cloud County batters. Reyes also led the Lakers offensively, going 3-5 with three runs batted in. Taylor Beane also had two hits and two runs batter in, while Lexus Gorospe reached base in all five at bats.  

The Lakers will finish up their weekend taking on Iowa Central tomorrow, March 7th, at 10:00 AM.