PARMA, Ohio – Lakeland softball had small leads in both games against Cuyahoga Community College but the Lakers lost both games of the doubleheader by the scores of 14-6 and 7-6 Tuesday afternoon.
With the losses, Lakeland's overall record falls to 9-11 and 1-5 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference play.
Cuyahoga 14 – Lakeland 6
Lakeland had an early 5-2 lead but Cuyahoga stormed back to beat the Lakers 14-6 in five innings to open the doubleheader.
Elizabeth Montgomery brought in four runs for Lakeland and added a pair of singles. Kallista Hribar and Cameron Malkamaki each had an RBI with a solo home run.
Lakeland struck first in the third inning when Hribar hit an inside the park home run for a 1-0 lead. Cuyahoga struck back with two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 2-1 lead.
The Lakers loaded the bases in the fourth inning with singles from Sam Szoradi and Nicole Ulogar and a walk from Hribar. Montgomery unloaded the bases with a single combined with errors from Cuyahoga as Montgomery eventually scored as well to take a 5-2 lead. Lakeland lost its lead when Cuyahoga scored six in the bottom of the inning to take an 8-5 lead.
Malkamaki nailed a solo home run to begin the fifth inning to get within 8-6 but that would be the final run scored by the Lakers as Cuyahoga added six runs in the bottom of the inning to end the game in the fifth inning.
Cuyahoga 7 – Lakeland 6
Lakeland let another lead slip away in the second game as Cuyahoga held on for a 7-6 victory to earn the sweep of the doubleheader.
The middle of the order was strong for the Lakers as Montgomery, Justine Barnes and Malkamaki each had two RBIs and two hits each. Hribar hit a pair of triples and scored twice in the loss.
Lakeland struck first in the third inning when Jamie Matso singled to begin the inning and later scored on a double from Montgomery to center for a 1-0 lead. Malkamaki later brought in a run with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Cuyahoga tied the game with a single run in the third and fourth innings to knot the game up at 2-2 after four innings.
The Lakers took the lead back in the fifth as Hribar started it off with a triple and then scored on a RBI single by Barnes for a 3-2 lead. Cuyahoga charged back to take a 7-3 lead with a single run in the fifth and four runs in the sixth.
Lakeland almost had enough to storm back in the final inning and it started when Hribar hit her second triple of the game. Hribar later scored on an RBI single by Montgomery to get within 7-4. Barnes nailed a triple to get Lakeland within 7-5. Malkamaki brought in a RBI with a sacrifice fly to get within 7-6 but that would be as close as Lakeland would get as Cuyahoga earned the final out.
Lakeland will get in its first home games when it hosts Kent State University at Tuscarawas on Thursday, April 13 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.