LAKE MYRTLE, Fla. – After suffering four consecutive losses to begin the season, Lakeland baseball showed its toughness by winning two consecutive games against Monroe Community College and Triton College Tuesday.
With the victories, Lakeland improved its overall record to 2-4.
Lakeland 4 – Monroe 3
Lakeland fell behind 3-0 in the fifth inning and could have easily given up but fought back to score four runs in the final three innings to earn a 4-3 victory, the first of the season for the Lakers.
Jack Shepherd put together a big game, going 2-for-4 with two singles and three RBIs. Walker Marlowe had the other RBI for the Lakers. Jacob Nagy hit two doubles and Luis Padron added a pair of singles in the win.
Hudson Widrig had a strong start in pitching three scoreless innings while striking out three in the no decision. Andy Gorby came on to pitch the final two scoreless innings to pick up the win for Lakeland while striking out a pair.
Monroe broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a pair of runs and then added an additional run in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead.
Lakeland saved all of its runs for the latter innings as Jonathan Johnson reached base after getting hit by a pitch with one out and was moved over after a double from Nagy. Marlowe knocked in a run with an RBI ground out to get the Lakers within 3-1 in the fifth.
Lakeland kept the momentum going in the sixth when Padron started the inning with a single and then stole second to get into scoring position. Shepherd knocked in Padron with a single to left to get within 3-2 of Monroe.
After chipping away at the lead, Lakeland went after the win in the seventh when Alec Guy reached base after getting hit by a pitch and Padron singled. Shepherd earned his second and third RBIs with a single to right-center for a 4-3 victory.
Lakeland 10 – Triton 8
Lakeland got going early on by scoring six runs in the first three innings and held on for a 10-8 victory over Triton.
Gino Bertolone knocked in a pair of runs with a double and scored twice. Marlowe also brought in two runs with a single. Garrett Oliver hit three singles and brought in a run while Seth France and Austin Mora also brought in a run in the win.
Ted Davis came on in relief in the fourth and pitched 2 2-3 innings and allowed just two earned runs to earn the win. Andrew Smith came on late to get the final four outs to earn his first save of the season.
Lakeland got going early in the second inning as Bertolone walked to start the inning and then was brought in by an RBI single by Mora for a 1-0 lead.
The Lakers kept the momentum going in the third when the first five batters reached base and eventually scored. Oliver, Shepher, and Johnson singled and scored while France and Bertolone walked and also scored to give Lakeland a 6-0 lead. Triton did cut into the Lakeland lead with two runs in the bottom of the third to get within 6-2.
The Lakers got those two runs back in the fourth as France reached on a fielder's choice and Johnson walked. Bertolone brought both in with a double to give Lakeland an 8-2 lead. Triton fought back with three in the bottom half to get within 8-5 after four.
Matt DiDonato helped Lakeland score in its fourth consecutive inning when he reached on an error and later came around to score for a 9-5 lead in the fifth. Triton scored three in the sixth to get within 9-8 heading to the final inning.
Lakeland picked up an important insurance run when Guy tripled to begin the seventh and then was brought in with an RBI single by Oliver to give the Lakers a 10-8 lead that would hold up until the final out.
Lakeland will continue its Florida spring break trip with a single game against Heartland Community College on Wednesday, March 14 at 9:30 a.m.
For more information about Lakeland athletics, visit www.athletics.lakelandcc.edu.
About Lakeland Community College
Founded in 1967, Lakeland Community College was the first college in Ohio created by a vote of the people. True to our mission, Lakeland provides quality learning opportunities to meet the social and economic needs of the community.
Offering day, evening, weekend and online classes, the college serves more than 10,800 credit and 2,800 noncredit students (2016). For more information about the College, visit www.lakelandcc.edu.