Iowa Lakes Community College softball team took to the longball to earn themselves a sweep over Ellsworth Community College. The Lakers had five homeruns in their 17-7 game one win and three in their 9-8 game two win.

Iowa Lakes jumped out to the early lead in game one. Lexus Gorospe led off with a single before advancing to second on a Taylor Allen groundout. Gorospe came around to score on a Yasmine Nix double.

The Panthers led off the second inning with a solo homerun. Two Laker errors, a sacrifice fly, and another Panther homerun made the score 4-1.

The Lakers got one run back in the bottom of the third on a two out rally. Nix hit her second double of the day, before scoring on a Kacie Salazar single to left.

Ellsworth quickly answered in the top of the fourth by scoring one run on two singles and a walk. The Lakers began their half of the inning with a leadoff single by Priscilla Lozoya. She advanced to third on a Madisyn Arechederra single to the left side. Arechederra was tagged out on this play trying to advance to second. Gorospe then singled to score Lozoya and then quickly crossed the plate herself on an Allen double to left center. Annjelica Moreno-Englebrecht doubled on a ball down the right field line, before back to back homeruns by Nix and Salazar put the Lakers up 8-5.

Ellsworth scored another run in the top of the fifth on a double and single. The Lakers were held scoreless in their half of the inning, making the score 8-6 going into the sixth.

The Panthers led off the top of the sixth with a double. She then advanced to third on a groudout to Madeline Cantu at third. Isabelle Karr then issued a walk to put runners at the corner. The next batter grounded out to Salazar at short, before the Lakers caught the runner from first trying to advance to third to complete the inning ending double play.

Iowa Lakes really got the bats rolling in the sixth, scoring nine runs. Allen and Moreno-Englebrecht started the inning with singles. For the second time in the game, Nix and Salazar went yard back to back to put the Lakers up 12-7. Tianna Soto followed with a double before she was called out trying to advance to third on a Cantu groundball. Mary Kelly then singled up the middle to put runners at first and second with one out. Arechederra walked and then Gorospe doubled to left to score Cantu and Kelly. Allen then took the first pitch she saw over the left center fence, to enforce the eight run rule and give the Lakers their first win of the day.

Isabelle Karr picked up the win for the Lakers. She allowed three earned runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out two. Yasmine Nix allowed four runs, one earned, on three hits and struck out one. Yasmine Nix led the powerful Laker lineup at the plate in game one. She was 4-4 with two doubles, two homeruns, six runs batted in, and three runs scored. Kacie Salazar was 3-4 with two homeruns and three runs batted in, while Taylor Allen was 3-5 with a homerun, a double, four runs batted in, and three runs scored.

Ellsworth jumped out to the early lead in game two when they scored one run on two hits and one walk.

The score remained 1-0, until the Lakers put up two runs in the bottom of the second. Salazar leadoff the inning with a shot down the third base line. She then advanced to third on a Soto single to right center, before scoring on a Cantu single to center. The Panthers got the next three Laker batters out to end the threat. The Lakers tacked on another run in the bottom of the third with a leadoff homerun by Allen.

The Panthers forced the third lead change of the game in the top of the fifth when they put together a two out rally. Larson drew a walk, before Adden reached on an error. A Panther homerun put them up 4-3. Moreno-Englebrecht tied the game back up in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homerun.

Ellsworth again took the lead on a solo homerun of their own in the bottom of the sixth. The Lakers forced the fifth lead change of the game in the bottom half of the inning, when they put three runs up on the scoreboard. Kelly singled and stole second before Arechederra drew a walk. Kelly then used her speed to score from second on a bunt by Gorospe. Gorospe then stole second, before an Allen groundout scored Arechederra. Moreno-Englebrecht hit into a fielder's choice, before she used some crafty baserunning to advance to third on a passed ball. Nix was intentionally walked to bring up Salazar. She delivered a single to left to put the Lakers up 7-5.

The Panthers took their final lead of the game in the top of the seventh. A Laker error leadoff the top of the seventh, before a single and double brought the Panthers to within one. Nix got the next batter to pop out to Salazar, before a sacrifice fly to right field tied the game up. The Panthers took the lead with a double before Nix got the final out of the inning to groundout to Salazar.

Cantu leadoff the Lakers half of the inning with a walk. She advanced to second on a Kelly single up the middle. Arechederra then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the tying run to sixty feet away. Gorospe then took the first ball she saw and put it in the left center gap to score both Cantu and Kelly to complete the game two win.

Yasmine Nix picked up the win for the Lakers. She allowed the three runs, zero earned, on three hits and struck out one. Lexus Gorospe pitched five innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks, while striking out three. Lexus Gorospe led the Lakers at the plate. She was 3-5 with three runs batted in, including the game winning hit. Annjelica Moreno-Englebrecht was 3-4 with two runs scored and one run batted in. Kacie Salazar and Mary Kelly each had two hits for the Lakers.

The Lakers are back in action on Thursday, April 4th, when they take on non-conference Morningside JV. The games are set for 3:00 and 5:00 PM at the Iowa Lakes Softball Field.

Photography By: Cecil Ramsey