The Iowa Lakes Community College Softball team swept their midweek games against Northeast Community College with final scores of 5-3 and 7-6. The two wins bring the Lakers to 25-16 overall for the season and 5-7 in conference.
GAME 1: 5 (ILCC), 3 (NECC)
Kaitlyn DuChateau led off the day with a hit-by-pitch to reach base for the Lakers. An error by the Hawks allowed DuChateau to reach third, with Marrissa Miller following to reach second. A one-out sacrifice fly from Taylor Larson gave DuChateau a chance to scurry home for the game's first run. The Hawks fought back in the bottom half, scoring one to tie the game on a single and a double.
Karlee Akers led off the top of the second inning for the Lakers with a single and Alexis Cullinane hit a single of her own to follow. A walk from Brooklyn Bode loaded the bases with zero outs, but the Lakers were unable to break through. Macy Pickett kept things short and sweet in the bottom of the second, striking out one Hawk while forcing two into ground outs.
Korilynn Christians stepped up to the plate in the top of the third, ripping a home run over the center field fence to give the Lakers a one-run lead. Pickett took a one-out walk which was followed by another Akers single. Cullinane added a single to load the bases for the Lakers and Abby Burgess took a hit-by-pitch to walk a run in, upping the score in the Lakers' favor to 3-1. Pickett once again shut down the Hawks' offense, striking out one and allowing no runs.
Christians once again led off the Lakers' offense with a one-out single to reach base who showcased her speed two pitches later by stealing second. Larson took a walk to put two runners on for Pickett to rip a single into left field, scoring both and bringing the lead to 5-1. Pickett tallied another strikeout on the defensive side, keeping the Hawks at bay.
Bode led off the top of the fifth for the Lakers with a single, but the Hawks' defense and pitching were able to shut down the next three batters. Northeast found some fight in their half of the fifth, scoring two on a double, two singles, and one Laker error.
The sixth and seventh innings were quiet for the Lakers who saw a lone runner per inning, each being stranded on base.
Pickett shut down Northeast in the bottom of the seventh, striking out two and forcing one into a pop-out.
The offense was led by three Lakers in game one. Christians, Akers, and Cullinane all went 2-4, with Christians tallying an RBI in the contest. Pickett added two RBIs on one hit, while Larson and Burgess also tallied one RBI each. Macy Pickett picked up her 11th win of the season in the circle, throwing all 7.0 innings, allowing 9 hits and two earned runs while striking out eight.
GAME 2: 7 (ILCC), 6 (NECC)
Game two was led off with a one-out single from Marrissa Miller, but the next two Lakers were shut down by Northeast's defense. Larson started hot in the circle, striking out the leadoff and sitting down the next two batters.
The top of the second was quiet on the Lakers' side, while the Hawks fought hard in their half. They scored two on a single and a home run to give themselves a 2-0 lead.
DuChateau had her first hit of the game in the top of the third, driving a one-out single to center. The next two outs for the Lakers came before anyone could come across. The Hawks kept up their fight in their half of the third, scoring a lone run on a Laker error and a single.
The Lakers finally broke through in the top of the fourth, starting with a leadoff single from Larson. Larson was able to advance to second on a wild pitch and Akers drove a line drive to right that allowed Larson to scurry home. Northeast came out hot with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, driving back-to-back home runs to bring the score to 5-1. Kassidy Elkins entered the game in the circle for the Lakers, forcing out three.
Bode led off the fifth inning with a walk for the Lakers and stole second three pitches later. DuChateau ripped a one-out double that allowed Bode to speed home. Christians ripped a two-out home run to center that scored two. Larson followed with her 18th home run of the season to tie the game at five. Elkins kept the Hawks quiet in the bottom of the fifth, not allowing a single runner on base.
Northeast's fight came in the bottom of the sixth, scoring one run on two singles and one Laker error.
With the Lakers down one in their final at-bats, DuChateau drove a deep fly ball over the left field fence to tie the game back up. Larson stepped back up to the plate with two outs and ripped a line drive over the left field fence for the go-ahead run.
Kassidy Elkins remained stoic in the circle for the Lakers, despite a lead-off single for the Hawks in the bottom of the seventh. A sacrifice bunt allowed Northeast's runner to reach second, but she would be stranded there as Elkins forced the next two batters into a pop-out and a ground out.
DuChateau and Larson each went 3-4 at the plate in game two for the Lakers with two RBIs each. DuChateau and Christians went yard once each while Larson hit her 18th and 19th home runs in the game. Larson started the game in the circle, throwing 3.2 innings, allowing five hits and five runs with only four being earned runs while striking out three. Elkins earned the win in the circle, throwing the remaining 3.1 innings, allowing only three hits and one unearned run.
The Lakers are on the road this weekend, starting at Kirkwood on Saturday. Saturday's games are scheduled for 1 & 3 pm before traveling to Ellsworth for games on Sunday.