The Lakers lost two games Sunday, March 4th, causing their record to drop to 3-3 on the season. The Lakers lost the first game to Cloud County Community College 6-3 and the second game against Highland Community College 11-1.
Game 1- CCCC 6, ILCC 3
The Lakers started off slow in game one of the day, taking until the third inning of the game to score. Cloud County on the other hand came out swinging. They scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and two more in the bottom of the second.
Julia Sullwold got things started for the Lakers, leading off with a triple over the left fielder's head. Leilani San Pedro then hit her in on a ground ball to the shortstop, making the score 4-1. Cloud County responded in their half of the inning with two runs of their own.
Kaitlin Walsh drove the first pitch of her at bat over the left field fence to score again for the Lakers in the fifth. The Lakers scored the final run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. Sullwold reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a ground ball out from Desiree Lopez. She then crossed the plate on a San Pedro single up the middle.
Walsh led the Lakers at the plate, going 2-3 with a homerun. Sullwold, San Pedro, Salazar, and Frank each had a hit in the game. Naomi Tolmachoff took the loss for the Lakers, pitching four innings. She allowed two earned runs on nine hits and struck out one. Bibiana Rosales pitched the final two innings of the game, allowing no runs on no hits and walking two.
Game 2- HCC 11, ILCC 1 (5 innings)
The Lakers played a very strong Highland team toe to toe until the fourth inning. Walsh got things going in the top of the second with a leadoff single to right field. Laurie Custard then shot the ball into the right center gap, scoring Walsh from first base and putting the Lakers up 1-0.
Highland scored their first run in the third inning. The Scottie's leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch, then advanced to second when Owen tried for the double play but was short on the throw. Rosales got the next batter to groundout to Salazar at short before the next batter drove a single to right field to tie the game up at one.
Iowa Lakes tried to get something going in the top of the fourth when Walsh bunted her way on base and advanced to second on a hard hit ball to the shortstop by Custard. Walsh and Custard both advanced on a ball in the dirt that they alertly moved up on. The Scottie's pitcher then got the next two Lakers to strike out and ground out to end the threat.
Highland scored four runs in the fourth inning, before scoring six in the fifth inning to end the game.
Bibiana Rosales took the loss for the Lakers, pitching 3.1 innings. She allowed five earned runs on three hits, six walks, and three hit by pitches. Sullwold pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing six runs, two earned, on four hits and two walks. Sullwold, Walsh, and Custard each had a hit for the Lakers.
The Lakers will have the week off before heading to Clermont, Florida to play twelve games.
Photograph by Cecil Ramsey