CLEARWATER, Fla. (Softball) – Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) softball traveled to St. Petersburg College (SPC) on Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference double header. The Lakehawks snagged their first win of the season in game one after defeating the Titans 11-2, before SPC took a close game two, 6-4.

Game One – Lake-Sumter 11, SPC 2

Behind 11 hits and 11 runs scored, the Lakehawks secured their first win of the season.

Lake-Sumter took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after capitalizing on several Titan errors.

St. Petersburg tied up the score 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning, but Lakehawk starting pitcher Kaitlyn Duquette silenced the Titan offence for the remainder of the game.

The Lakehawks took the lead back after Kaleigh Thomas reached base with a leadoff walk. Payton Parkes stepped up with a double to the right field fence to score Thomas from second.

Lake-Sumter put three more runs on the board in the top of the fifth after clutch hitting from Macie Bourgholtzer and Megan Wright. In the sixth, the Lakehawks capitalized on several Titan mistakes to extend their lead 8-2.

In the top of the seventh inning, back-to-back singles with bases loaded from Thomas and Savannah Ellis scored three more runs to secure the 11-2 Lakehawk win.

Thomas was 3-for-4 with one RBI, one run scored and one walk. Alexis Adams and Bourgholtzer recorded two hits each.  

Duquette tossed a complete-game on the mound to record the win. In seven innings of work, she allowed just two runs on six hits while striking out six Titan batters.

Game Two – Lake-Sumter 4, SPC 6

The Lakehawks tried to keep the momentum going into game two, but fell short in a close 6-4 loss to St. Petersburg.

In the top of the first, Lake-Sumter drew three walks to load the bases. Parkes stepped up with an infield single to score giving the Lakehawks a 2-0 lead right away.

SPC answered back in the bottom half of the first with back-to-back doubles to tie the score at 2-2. The Titans tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second to extend their lead 5-2.

Freshman Amy Bak led off the fifth inning with a four-pitch walk to later score on a double from Ellis.

St. Petersburg added one more run in the bottom of the fifth bringing their lead to 6-3.

The Lakehawks added another run in the top of the sixth after Wright drove in Parkes on a single up the middle. The comeback was cut short resulting in a 6-4 loss for the Lakehawks.

Parkes led the team offensively in game two going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Ellis, Thomas, Wright, and Bak recorded one hit each.

Sophomore Kayley Williams and Bak teamed up on the mound in game two.

Williams recorded the loss with 2.0 innings pitched. She allowed five runs on five hits with two strikeouts.

Bak came in in relief in the third inning. In 4.0 innings of work, she allowed just one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The Lakehawks improved to a 1-7 record, while SPC improved to 4-6 on the season.

Up next for the Lakehawks

Lakehawk Softball will travel to Georgia to play East Georgia State College and Gordon State College on Friday and Saturday.

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