LEESBURG, Fla. (Softball) – Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) softball opened the 2024 season on Saturday afternoon hosting a double header with Hillsborough Community College (HCC). The Lakehawks fell to HCC in two close games, 1-0 and 3-2.

Game One – Lake-Sumter 0, HCC 1

The Lakehawks kept game one close until the sixth when HCC managed to score a run to break the 0-0 tie.

Lake-Sumter's first opportunity to score came in the bottom of the sixth inning after Jordyn Anderson reached on a hit-by-pitch. Redshirt Sophomore Kaleigh Thomas came up to bat next and blasted a double to right center field advancing Anderson to third.

Megan Wright followed with a four-pitch walk to load the bases. The Lakehawks fell short after grounding out into a double play to ended the inning.

HCC took the lead in the sixth inning after Sonae Simmons reached on an error by the Lakehawk defense. Sophomore Anouk Boontjes gave the Lady Hawks the 1-0 lead with a double to center field to score Simmons.

The Lakehawks tried to answer back in their last-chance at bat in the bottom of the seventh after sophomore third baseman Alexis Adams led the inning with a single to left field.

Lake-Sumter was unable to produce a run with the next two batter hitting the existing baserunners into fielder's choices, ending the game in the bottom of seventh with a 1-0 loss.

The Lakehawks outhit the the Lady Hawks six hits to two in game one. Adams went 2-for-3, while Emma Chisholm, Nicol Werking, Anderson, and Thomas recorded one hit each.

Two pitchers saw the mound for the Lakehawks in game one. Redshirt sophomore Anderson, in her pitching debut after a year off, pitched four scoreless and hitless innings.

Freshman pitcher Amy Bak entered the game in relief and recorded the loss with three innings pitched, allowing just one unearned run on two hits with two strikeouts.

Game Two – Lake-Sumter 2, HCC 3

The Lakehawks fought to overcome a three-run deficit in game two, but ultimately fell short facing their second loss of the day.  

The Lady Hawks scored their first one of the game with a solo homerun to left field in the top of the second inning. Then, extended their lead in the top of the third after stringing together three hits and a hit-by-pitch to manufacture two more runs.

Lake-Sumter remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth after a hard-hit ball to center field by Chisholm. After a pair of sacrifice flies by Savanah Ellis and Anderson, Chisholm scored the Lakehawk's first run of the game.

The Lakehawks chipped away at the HCC lead in the bottom of the sixth. With a runner on, Thomas singled to left field scoring Alex Baez easily from third base.

In their last-chance at bat, Lake-Sumter drew two baserunners but ultimately fell short to HCC 3-2.

Thomas went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Baez, Chisholm, and Adams recorded one hit each.

The pitching was a dual effort between freshman Kaitlyn Duquette and Ellis.

Duquette recorded the loss with four innings pitched, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Ellis closed the game holding HCC to three runs on three hits, one walk, and one strikeout.

The Lakehawks move to 0-2 on the season, while the Lady Hawks of HCC improved to 3-1.

Up next for the Lakehawks

The Lakehawks will host Eastern Florida State College for a double header on Thursday at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.

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