The Iowa Lakes Community College Softball team took two wins in their first showing of the season. The Lakers took game one from the Yellowjackets of RCTC with a final score of 13-2 and game two from the Raiders of Central Lakes College with a final of 8-3. 

Game 1: 13 (ILCC), 2 (RCTC) 5 innings

            The Yellowjackets struck first in the top of the first inning scoring two runs on three hits. They were held to two runs for the rest of the game. 

            The Lakers began the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk from Abby Burgess. She then stole second and third in the next two pitches. Myla Murphy followed Burgess with a walk. Burgess scored on a passed ball from the catcher as Myla Murphy stole second. Marrissa Miller grounded out to the first baseman, which advanced Murphy to third. Murphy scored on a passed ball during Taylor Larson's at-bat. With two outs, Larson walked to put another Laker on the bases. Larson stole second and advanced to third during Alexis Cullinane's at-bat, which ended up with a walk from Cullinane. Larson then scored on a passed ball while Cullinane advanced to second. Cullinane stole third and would be stranded there as the inning came to a close. 

            The top of the second inning saw two strikeouts from Larson. Kassidy Elkins led the Lakers off in the bottom of the second with a walk, and Bode would follow with a walk of her own. Elkins scored on a wild pitch during Murphy's at-bat. Murphy would reach first on a hit-by-pitch and Miller would reach first on a bunt-for-a-hit. Murphy would come around to score on a passed ball, which would be the last score of the inning. 

Larson, Cullinane, Elkins, and Bode would tally walks in the bottom of the third. Bode's walk would score Larson, while each of the other three would score on passed balls. 

The bottom of the fourth would see a single from Cullinane and a run from Larson and Cullinane as result of passed balls. Elkins and Burgess would reach first on walks and each score as result of passed balls, with Burgess being the final run of the game. 

In the circle, Larson saw her first win of the season, pitching all five innings. She would allow two runs on six hits while striking out five. Her pitching and Laker defense would strand five Yellowjackets on base and hold them to the two runs scored in the first. 

Game 2: 8 (ILCC), 3 (CLB)

The Lakers would start the game by scoring two in the top of the first inning. Myla Murphy would reach first on a hit-by-pitch and would reach second on a walk from Marrissa Miller. Murphy would score on a fielder's choice and error from Karlee Akers and Akers would score on a triple by Macy Pickett. In the circle, Pickett would start off strong with two strikeouts. She would continue her streak into the second and third innings, striking out three in the second and two in the third.

The next score of the game would come from Iowa Lakes in the top of the fourth. Larson would reach base on a fielder's choice and score on a sac fly from Kaitlyn DuChateau. Korilynn Christians would take a walk and Brooklyn Bode would come in to run for her. Bode would score on a single from Abby Burgess as the last score of the inning. Pickett kept hot as she sat down three more in the bottom of the fourth. 

The top of the fifth was scoreless for the Lakers as the Raiders would score their first runs of the game in the bottom. The Raiders would score three runs on three hits and one error. Pickett would come back to strikeout three in the bottom of the sixth. 

The top of the seventh would see walks from Burgess & Murphy to lead it off. Both would score on a throwing error from the Raiders shortstop on an Akers ground ball. Pickett would hit a single to center that scored Akers and Pickett would come around to third on a fielding error by the centerfielder on her hit. The final score of the game would come from a ground ball by Taylor Larson to score Pickett. Pickett would finish the game with two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh, taking her total to 16 in her first game in the blue and gold. 

The Lakers play again next weekend as they travel to Beatrice, Nebraska on Friday to take on Southeast Community College & Concordia, Kansas to take on Cloud County Community College. 

Photo ID: Photo of Taylor Larson hitting 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.