COVINGTON, Ohio – Lakeland softball had two distinctly different games in a doubleheader against Edison State Community College as the Lakers lost the first game 10-2 but recovered to win the second game 11-0 to split the pair.
With the split, Lakeland's overall record moved to 9-9 and the Lakers pick up their first Ohio Community College Athletic Conference victory and now stand with a 1-3 record.
Edison 10 – Lakeland 2
Edison got off to a fast start and Lakeland was unable to recover as Edison took the first game 10-2 in six innings to open the doubleheader.
Sam Szoradi hit a single and double and had the lone RBI for Lakeland while Cameron Malkamaki added two singles.
Edison jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning but Lakeland was able to get on the board in the third inning. Szoradi led off the inning with a double and then came in to score on a wild pitch to get within 4-1. Edison battled back with a single run in the bottom of the inning and added two more in the fourth for a 7-1 lead.
The Lakers got some offense going in the sixth when Malkamaki singled to begin the inning and Szoradi singled Malkamaki in with a hit up the middle to get within 7-2. Edison scored three runs in the sixth to end the game early.
Lakeland 11 – Edison 0
A different team showed up for the second game as Lakeland pounded out 11 hits and run-ruled Edison 11-0 in five innings to split the doubleheader.
Malkamaki kept it rolling in the second game with five RBIs with two doubles and a single. Kallista Hribar brought in two runs with a home run, triple and a single, leaving her only a double away from the cycle. Cassidy Yarnell and Nicole Ulogar each had an RBI in the win.
Abby Takacs pitched a strong game, going five innings and allowing just four hits in the shutout victory to get her first win of the season.
Lakeland was the team getting off to a fast start as Hribar singled to begin the game and then scored on an RBI double by Malkamaki to left for the first run. Yarnell followed with an RBI double for a 2-0 lead. Yarnell and Jamie Matso scored on an error for a 4-0 lead before Edison touched a bat.
The offense continued in the second inning for Lakeland when Malkamaki brought in a pair of runs with a single to left for a 6-0 lead.
Malkamaki was at it again in the fourth as she brought in two more runs with a double to center for an 8-0 lead.
Lakeland looked to end the game early in the fifth and it started with a solo home run by Ulogar for a 9-0 lead. Hribar added a home run of her own in the inning with a two-run shot to right for an 11-0 lead that turned out to be final score.
Lakeland will continue conference play with a short road trip to Cuyahoga Community College on Tuesday, April 10 for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 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.