Softball at 4-4 in Conference Play Through Two Series
Softball came into conference play holding a 6-7 record, looking to get off on the right foot in Northern Conference play. The Lakers hosted the Alpena Community College Lumberjacks for a four-game series to kick off the conference season, followed by a four-game series with the Muskegon Community College Jayhawks.
Alpena Series:
Game one, the Lakers scraped across 1 run in the second, third, and fourth innings to build up a 3-0 lead after four. In the top of the fifth inning, the Lumberjacks threw up a four spot to take a 4-3 lead. The Lakers responded in the bottom of the fifth with a 3-run inning. They'd tack on 2 more runs in the sixth, resulting in an 8-4 win.
Adria Reed had a 3-4 game at the plate. Phoenix Shaw went 2-4 with a double, 2 RBI and a run scored. Alexis Mielke went 1-3 with 2 runs scored, including a solo homerun. Zoey Bacon went 1-2 with a walk and a pair of RBIs. Grace Piggott and Ella Clauss each had a hit in the contest. Heidi Nagel hurled all 7 innings for the Lakers, allowing just 6 hits while striking out 11 Lumberjack hitters en route to a game one win.
Game two, the Lakers bats were alive, erupting for a 9-run second inning to take a 10-0 lead early. They'd go on to have another big inning in the fourth, plating 7 runs. The 17-0 score would prove to be the final score of the game, with the Lakers winning both games day one.
Averi Hall, Janelle Yarnell, Lexi Mielke, Addysen Gray, Gabby Martinez, and Zoey Bacon each had a multi-hit game. Martinez had a monster game with a homerun and 5 runs driven in. Hall drove in 3 runs. Mielke had a double and a pair of RBIs. Addysen Gray went the distance, throwing 5 innings of shutout softball, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 3 Lumberjack hitters. Gray picked up her first win of the season on the bump.
Day two, the Lakers came out and the bats were still scorching hot. They started out with a 4-0 lead in the first inning. From there, they'd go on to have a monster 7 run fourth inning. The Lakers would go on to win the game 17-0.
Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit, amassing 18 hits as a team, including six ladies recording multi-hit games. Mielke continued her red-hot series, going 3-5 in this game with a pair of homeruns and 5 runs driven in. Janelle Yarnell went 3-4 in the game with a pair of doubles and 3 runs scored. Ella Clauss drove in 3 Laker runs and had a double. Averi Hall hit a triple in her 2-5 performance. Heidi Nagel continued her dominant start to the season, collecting her sixth win of the year, throwing 5 innings of shutout softball. Nagel allowed just 4 baserunners while striking out 8.
The final game of the series was a tightly contested, back and forth game. The Lakers struck first in the second inning with 4 runs. Alpena battled back with a 3-run second inning. They'd go on to take the lead in the fourth, and tack on one more run in the fifth to make it a 6-4 game. The Laker rally came up short in the final inning, with Alpena winning the final game of the series 6-5.
Janelle Yarnell collected 3 hits in the game. Averi Hall had a double and a pair of RBIs. Zoey Bacon and Allie Hawkins each drove in a run.
The next series on the docket would be with Muskegon, in which the Lakers would host day one for two games, and the Jayhawks would host two games on day two.
Muskegon Series:
Game one, the Lakers got off to a 6-0 lead after five innings. The Jayhawks tried to claw their way back, but the Lakers held on to win 6-2 in the series opener. The sticks were on fire, with 8 different players recording a hit. Adria Reed and Olyviah Hanson each had a multi-hit game. Reed had a double and 2 RBI. Hanson drove in 2 runs. Mielke drove in one run. Heidi Nagel tossed a complete game, striking out 6 en route to a Laker win.
Game two of the series, the bats cooled off, amassing just 4 hits and scoring 2 runs in the game. Despite holding a 2-0 lead after two innings, the Jayhawks offense would come to life, scoring 10 runs in three innings to win game two of the doubleheader 10-2 over the host Lakers.
Zoey Bacon drove in both Laker runs in the game.
Game three of the series was played at Muskegon the following day. This game would prove to be a true pitcher's duel. The Lady Lakers would hold a 3-1 lead deep into the game. A 3-run sixth inning by the Jayhawks would be enough to prevail, as the Lakers dropped game one of the doubleheader 4-3.
Yarnell and Reed would each hit solo homeruns in the game. Reed also had a double in her 2-3 day at the plate. Hanson drove in the other Laker run. Mielke went 3-3 at the plate with a run scored. Nagel toed the slab again, throwing a complete game, allowing just 4 runs and striking out 8 batters along the way.
Game four, the bats couldn't get going for the Lakers. They'd fall 8-0 to the Jayhawks in the final game of the series. Yarnell, Phoenix Shaw, and Gabby Martinez each collected a hit for the Lakers in the final game.
Through the first two games of conference play, Laker softball sits at 10-11 overall and 4-4 in conference play. Their next contest is scheduled for 4/9 at Lansing CC.