Softball Takes 2 of 5 in Weekend Series with Grand Rapids

Softball played host to the Raiders of Grand Rapids Community College in the first conference series of the season. Each series in conference play is a five game series, played over the course of three days in most cases.

Game one, the Lakers used a 4-run sixth inning to knock of the Raiders 5-1. The Lakers only had 4 hits but maximized their opportunities. Janell Yarnell hit a solo homerun as a part of her two-hit game. Mackenzie Lane had two RBis in the game. Heidi Nagel had a dominant performance, throwing all seven innings. Nagel allowed just 3 hits, 1 earned run, and 1 walk while striking out 14 batters.

Game two, the Lakers bats perked up, scoring 10 runs on 13 hits. However, the Raiders bats were hotter, resulting in a 20-10 loss. Haley Gibson went 4-4 in the game including two doubles. Janelle Yarnell had a homerun and three RBIs in the game. Mackenzie Hoogerhyde also hit a homerun while driving in three runs. Ella Clauss, Shelby Bundy, and Maggie Wallace each had a hit and drove in a run in the loss.

Game three, the Lakers fell behind 3-2 after two innings. After they tied it in the fourth inning, the Lakers use a 4-run sixth inning to take the lead, and ended up winning 7-4. Ella Clauss and Angelina Lanham each had two hits in the game, one of which for Lanham was a homerun. Haley Gibson also had a double as the only other extra base hit collected by the Lakers. Heidi Nagel was magnificent once again, throwing all seven innings in the Lakers second win in the series. Nagel allowed 7 hits, but only allowed 2 earned runs while striking out 9.

Game four was a lopsided Raiders win with a score of 13-2. The lone offense for the Lakers came from two solo homeruns, one from Janelle Yarnell and one from Shelby Bundy. Ella Clauss had the other hit for the Lakers.

Game five was another lopsided Raiders win, this time 9-1. Olyviah Hanson had a multi-hit game in the game. Yarnell and Lanham each collected a hit.

After the conclusion of the series, the Lakers will shift their focus to the next conference series as they play host to Bay College on 4/7 and 4/8.