HAGERSTOWN, Md. – After a rough opening game against Hagerstown, Lakeland bounced back against Niagara County for a 10-2 victory in six innings to earn a split of the two games Friday afternoon.
With the split of games, Lakeland stays at .500 with a 6-6 overall record.
Hagerstown 7 – Lakeland 3
Hagerstown scored the first five runs and Lakeland was able to keep it close but could not come all the way in a 7-3 loss to open up the day.
Cameron Malkamaki brought in two of the three Lakeland runs with a single. Kallista Hribar had the other RBI and had a single and a double in the loss.
Hagerstown scored five runs in the fourth inning to take an early lead but the Lakers cut into the lead in the fifth. Sam Szoradi started the inning with a double and scored the first run after an RBI double from Hribar to get within 5-1. Malkamaki brought in two runs with a single to right to make the score 5-3.
Unfortunately, that would be the final runs scored for Lakeland as Hagerstown added two more runs in the sixth to earn the four-run victory.
Lakeland 10 – Niagara County 2
Lakeland recovered in the second game of the day and provided plenty of offense to beat Niagara County 10-2 in six innings.
Justine Barnes brought in three runs with a triple and a single. Elizabeth Montgomery brought in a pair of runs without a hit. Abby Takacs had a pair of singles and RBIs while Hribar and Malkamaki each brought in a run in the win.
Nicole Watts (4-2) was solid in the circle, pitching six innings and allowing two earned runs while striking out four in the win.
Lakeland got off to a quick start when Hribar singled to get on and then stole second and third to get into scoring position. Montgomery brought in Hribar with an RBI ground out to give Lakeland a 1-0 lead. Niagara County did counter with two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 2-1 lead.
The Lakers came back to tie the game in the third inning and it started when Nicole Ulogar was hit by a pitch and then she later came around to score on a Hribar single to knot the game at 2-2.
Lakeland went after the lead in the fifth as Hribar singled and then later came around to score on a Niagara error for a 3-2 lead. Barnes followed that with an RBI single for a 4-2 lead.
After taking the lead in the fifth, the Lakers poured it on in the sixth as Cassidy Yarnell and Szoradi singled to get everything started and Takacs singled both in for a 6-2 lead. Montgomery made the score 7-2 after grounding into a fielder's choice.
Barnes brought in two more in the inning with a triple to center for a 9-2 lead. Malkamaki capped the scoring with an RBI single to center to give the Lakers a 10-2 lead that would hold up until the final out.
Lakeland will continue its road trip with a doubleheader against Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville on Saturday, March 31 beginning at noon.
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.