LAKE MYRTLE, Fla. – Chances for a win in the opening game for Lakeland baseball looked bleak as the Lakers trailed 10-7 heading into the final inning but Lakeland score four wins in the seventh to take an 11-10 victory in the opener of the doubleheader with Dakota County Technical College Saturday afternoon.
Dakota Tech was able to split the doubleheader with a 9-6 victory. With the split, Lakeland's overall record moves to 3-8.
Lakeland 11 – Dakota Tech 10
Trailing 10-7 heading into the final inning, Lakeland was able to score four runs in the seventh to steal away an 11-10 victory in the doubleheader opener against Dakota Tech.
Matt Detering had a big game at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a single while bringing in a run. Jack Shepherd hit three singled and finished with three RBIs. Walker Marlowe had two doubles and brought in two runs in the win.
David Kalinowski came on in relief in the fifth inning and pitched well enough for the win. Kalinowski pitched two innings and gave up three runs. Andrew Smith came on in the seventh and walked a couple but escaped without harm to pick up the save.
Lakeland had a rough start as Dakota Tech built up a 3-0 lead after two innings. The Lakers got back into the game in the third when Marlowe walked to begin the inning and Garrett Oliver reached on an error. Shepherd brought in Marlowe with a single for the first run and then Detering followed with a double to get Lakeland with 3-2. Dakota Tech added on two runs in the bottom of the third and the fourth for a 7-2 lead.
The fifth is where Lakeland started to make its move as Jacob Nagy started the inning with a single and then he came in to score on a single by Gino Bertolone to get within 7-3. Marlowe brought in a pair with a double to get Lakeland within 7-5.
Lakeland went after the lead in the sixth when Shepherd started the inning with a single and was brought in by a double from Detering to get within 7-6. Jonathan Johnson tied the game at 7-7 with an RBI single. Dakota Tech took the lead back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 10-7 lead.
Losing the lead didn't affect the Lakers as Marlowe got the seventh started with a double and then came in to score on an RBI single by Austin Mora. Mora, Oliver and Shepherd also scored in the seventh to give Lakeland an 11-10 lead that would hold up until the final out.
Dakota Tech 9 – Lakeland 6
In a back and forth contest in the second game, Lakeland was getting single run innings down the stretch while Dakota Tech was scoring in bunches to earn a 9-6 victory to salvage a split.
Mora went 3-for-4 in the second game with a triple and two singles while bringing in a run. Detering and Alec Guy each had two hits in the loss.
Dakota Tech started out on top with two runs in the first inning but Lakeland battled back in the bottom half. Mora walked to begin the inning and then later score on a balk to get within 2-1. Shepherd also walked to get on and then scored on an error to tie the game at 2-2.
Lakeland took the lead in the second inning when Guy smashed a double to start it off and then he later scored for a 3-2 lead. Dakota Tech scored two in the third and fourth to take a 6-3 lead.
Marlowe helped the Lakers cut into the lead with a one-out single and then Mora followed with an RBI triple to get Lakeland within 6-4. The Lakers added another run in the fifth when Guy nailed a two-out single and stole second and then was able to score on a single by Jacob Nagy to get within 6-5. Dakota Tech scored three runs in the sixth to take a 9-5 lead.
Mora helped keep hopes alive for Lakeland in the bottom of the sixth when he started it off with a single and then stole second. Detering drove Mora in with a two-out single to get within 9-6 but that would be the final run scored in the game.
With the Florida spring break trip over, Lakeland travel a bit closer to home to face Harford Community College on Friday, March 23 at 3 p.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.