Iowa Lakes combined for 46 hits in three games to go 2-1 on Thursday. Leilani San Pedro and Shelby Davis combined for 18 hits, 14 RBI's, and 9 runs scored. The pitchers allowed eight earned runs and 19 hits on the day.

Game 1: ILCC 3, MCC 4

Despite the Lakers seventh inning rally, they fall just short in the 4-3 loss to Division 1 JUCO Marshalltown Community College.

Julia Sullwold tried to get something started in the first inning with a leadoff single and stolen base. Lauren Hein then flew out to right field before San Pedro and Deanna Gerrard each singled. The Tigers pitcher got the next two Lakers to ground out to end the threat.

The Lakers again got runners in scoring position in the top of the third but could not get the timely hitting that they needed to push a run across. The Tigers however used some good two out hitting to score three runs on two homeruns in the bottom of the third.

Both teams remained quiet until the fifth inning, when Marshalltown hit their third homerun of the game to go up 4-0. The Lakers finally showed some fight in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single by Sullwold. Hein followed suit with a single of her own before San Pedro hit a shot over the left center fence to pull the Lakers within one. Courtney Calkins and Blaney Markman both got hit by a pitch and stole a base to put runners at second and third with two outs. Both runners were left stranded as the Tigers got the next two Laker hitters to retire.

Kaitlyn Bowman took the loss for the Lakers pitching three innings. She allowed three earned runs on four hits. Kazmierski pitched four innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and struck out one. Offensively, San Pedro was 2-4 with three runs batted in and Sullwold was 3-4 with two stolen bases.

Game 2: ILCC 16, MCC 2

The Lakers combined for 23 hits in their 16-2 victory over Mott Community College. Calkins continued her perfect 6-0 record allowing two earned runs on six hits, while striking out two.

Gerrard got things started in the second inning with a leadoff double to left field. Davis and Calkins then earned their first of four RBI's with hits to right center. Lauren Hein started off the second inning with a double before San Pedro stepped up and hit her second homerun of the day. Davis got things going again with a single before a couple of defensive miscues by Mott CC allowed her to score.

Mott showed some life as they scored one run in each the fourth and fifth innings. Iowa Lakes quickly answered in the sixth, hitting for the cycle to score four runs. The Lakers broke things open in the seventh scoring seven runs on nine hits to complete the 16-2 win.

Davis led the Lakers at the plate going a perfect 5-5 with four runs batted in and four runs scored. Calkins had four runs batted in on three hits during the game. Hein and San Pedro each had three hits in the game as well.

Game 3: ILCC 10, BU JV 2

Ashton Kazmierski pitched a gem for the Lakers in game three to boost the Lakers to a 10-2 victory over Benedictine University JV. Kazmierski allowed two earned runs on seven hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.

Sullwold led off the game with a single, advanced to second on a Hein groundout, before scoring on San Pedro's first of five hits. The Lakers then scored three runs on some timely two out hitting in the top of the second. Montanna Popp hit the first pitch she saw over the centerfielders head to advance herself to second. Sullwold then walked and both runners advanced by stealing a base. An error on the left fielder then scored both runners before Hein scored on another San Pedro hit.

The Lakers took advantage of another Benedictine error to score three runs in the top of the fourth to go up 7-0. Benedictine got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth when they scored two runs on three hits.

San Pedro pushed back in the top of the sixth with a leadoff double and stolen base before Gerrard hit her fifth homerun of the season to put the Lakers up 9-2. The Lakers scored their final run of the game when San Pedro knocked in Hein for her third RBI of the game to complete the 10-2 victory.

San Pedro was a perfect 5-5 at the plate with two doubles, three runs batted in, two runs scored, and one stolen base. Sullwold, Gerrard, and Davis each had two hits in the game.

The Lakers will end their trip with two games on Friday. They will play Waubonsee Community College at 1:00 PM and Illinois Valley Community College at 3:30 PM. 

Photo Credit: Cecil Ramsey Photography