The Iowa Lakes Softball team has been playing some great ball lately. They have extended their winning streak by getting a two-game sweep over North Iowa Area Community College. The Lakers took game one 4-1 and game two 15-1 in five innings. The Lakers are now 14-10 overall and 14-8 in conference.
Game One: ILCC 4, NIACC 1
NIACC got on the board first in the game. They scored on a single, walk, passed ball, and groundout. The Lakers quickly got that run back in their half of the inning. Lexi Chase and Kailey Maksim led off with back-to-back singles. Eliya Johnson then doubled to center to score Chase from second. Unfortunately, the Lakers were not able to push across any more runs that inning.
The Lakers scored another run in the top of the second, when Chase singled on two outs. Maksim followed with a single of her own, that advanced Chase to third. Johnson hit a hard ground ball that was misplayed by the shortstop to allow Chase to score and put the Lakers up 2-0.
The next four innings became a good old-fashioned pitchers dual, as neither team could score again until the bottom of the sixth.
Feeling uncomfortable with a one run lead, the Lakers knew they needed some insurance runs in the sixth inning. With two outs, Maksim reached on a Trojan error. Johnson made it hurt by crushing a ball over the right center fence to put the Lakers up 4-1 going into the top of the seventh.
Chase and the Lakers got NIACC to go down in order, striking out, flying out, and striking out, to complete the win.
Chase picked up the win for the Lakers, going the distance and allowing one earned run on two hits and one walk. Chase struck out twelve Trojans in the game. At the plate, the Lakers compiled ten hits. Eliya Johnson led the way, going 2-4, driving in all four Laker runs. Kailey Maksim and Lexi Chase each added two hits of their own.
Game Two: ILCC 15, NIACC 1
The Lakers offense was too much for the Trojans to handle in game two, as they compiled seventeen hits in four innings.
Chase got the start in game two as well. The first Trojan batter drove a ball to center but was quickly thrown out by Kaitlin Roundy on a steal attempt. Chase got the next batter to line out to Maksim at second, before recording the final out herself on a looking strikeout.
A single off the bat of Chase got the Lakers offense started in the first inning. Johnson doubled to center to put two runners in scoring position with Roundy at the plate. A single to center scored both runners and put the Lakers up 2-0 after one inning of play.
The Lakers did some damage on two outs in the second inning. With Emma Kral on first, Maksim walked to put runners at first and second. A high fly ball to left that was misplayed by the Trojans scored both runners and gave the Lakers a 4-0 lead with Johnson still at second. Roundy followed with a walk. A single from Kamryn Buntrock and homerun from Allie McCabe cleared the bases and made the score 8-0 after two innings of play.
The game busted wide open in the third, as the Lakers put up seven runs in the inning. Kral led off with a double and advanced to third on an Amanda Franke single. Chase hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to allow Kral to score. Maksim followed with a homerun to clear the bases and put the Lakers ahead 11-0. Madison Hough and Roundy both singled before Gabby West drove a ball down the right field line, scoring Hough and putting runners at second and third. McCabe double scored Roundy and Hough before Hill walked. Franke found her second hit of the inning, which scored McCabe, the final Laker run of the game.
With Johnson now in the circle, the Trojans got one run in the fifth inning on three hits and two walks.
The Lakers used a balance attack at the plate to put up fifteen runs on seventeen hits, which each player having at least one hit in the game. Allie McCabe was 3-3 with five runs batted in. Kaitlin Roundy, Kamryn Buntrock, Amanda Franke, and Eliya Johnson each had two hits in the game. Lexi Chase earned her second win of the day, allowing no earned runs on three hits and striking out five. Eliya Johnson pitched one inning, allowing one earned run on three hits, two walks, and striking out one.
The Lakers will be at home again this weekend, April 17th and 18th, in a four-game series against Northeast Community College. Game times will be at 1:00 and 3:00 PM on Saturday and 12:00 and 2:00 PM on Sunday.
Photo ID: Photo of Amanda Franke coming around to score attached.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Head Softball Coach, Katie King at (712) 362-8367 or the Iowa Lakes sports information office at (712) 362-7928.