The Iowa Lakes Community College Softball team picked up two more wins on their six game road trip. MacKenna Jones continued her hot pitching with a one hit, sixteen strikeout 6-0 win. Game two came down to the final inning, with the Lakers winning 6-5. Iowa Lakes is now 6-0 on the year.
GAME 1: 6 (ILCC), 0 (CCCC)
Neither team could get their offense going, until Kiaya Dunbar reached first in the top of the third on a Cloud County error. She was then forced out at second on a groundball off the bat of Macy Alderson. With one out, Alderson stole second. Alyssa Thorson walked to put two runners on base. Bryn Bohmann doubled in the right field gap to clear the bases and put the Lakers up 2-0. The Lakers took advantage of another T-Bird error to advance Bohmann to third, who then scored on a Baylee O'Donnell single.
Up 3-0 going into the top of the seventh, the Lakers wanted more runs on the board. Alderson hit a shot over the centerfield fence to spark the Lakers offense. Thorson doubled and then scored on a Bohmann triple. Jones put the Lakers up 6-0 when she got an RBI on a groundout to the shortstop.
MacKenna Jones was fantastic from the mound all weekend. In this game, she allowed zero runs on one hit and sixteen strkeouts. Alyssa Thorson was 3-3 with two runs scored, while Bryn Bohmann was 3-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
GAME 2: 6 (ILCC), 5 (CCCC)
Again it took until the third inning for either team to get rolling in the box. With two outs, Jones walked and advanced to second when O'Donnell was hit by a pitch. Karisa Hernandez laid down a pretty bunt, which the T-Birds misplayed. This allowed Jones to score the first run of the game. Both O'Donnell and Hernandez advanced a base on a wild pitch and a wild throw allowed O'Donnell to score. Cloud County was able to score three runs in the bottom half of the inning. They did this on three hits and two walks.
Cloud County put another run up on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a solo homerun.
Down 4-3 in the top of the sixth, Dunbar led off the inning with a single. She advanced to second on a passed ball and then scored on a Thorson double. Bohmann gave the Lakers a two run lead when she blasted a ball over the fence to left. The T-Birds doubled with one out to start their rally in the sixth. O'Donnell got the next batter to ground out to Hernandez before allowing a run to score on a double. Jones entered the ballgame and got the first batter she saw to strikeout.
Iowa Lakes tried to get some insurance runs in the top of the seventh, when Madison Goosmann hit a one out single. Abby Zahn followed that with a bunt single of her own. Unfortunately, Cloud County was able to get the next two Lakers hitters out to end the threat. The bottom of the seventh saw Jones get the first batter to flyout to Alderson in left and the second to strikeout looking. The T-Birds were then able to single and draw a walk to put the tying run at second base. Jones recorded the final out on the game, recording her nineteenth strikeout of the day.
Kiaya Dunbar was the spark for the Lakers at the plate in game two. She was 2-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Bryn Bohmann and Alyssa Thorson each had two hits with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Baylee O'Donnell picked up her third win, pitching 3.1 innings. She allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. Jayda Staige pitching 2.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. MacKenna Jones picked up the save, allowing zero runs on zero hits and three strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.
The Lakers will have a well deserved break before their next game. They will travel to Clermont, Florida for twelve games in five days. The Lakers will play their first home games on April 1st.
Photo ID: Picture of Karisa Hernandez hitting.
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.
Photgraphy by: Cecil Ramsey Photography