Lakehawk Baseball Tames Lions By Mercy Rule

LEESBURG, Fla. (Baseball) –  Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) baseball hosted Inspiration Academy Post-Grad on Monday afternoon. The Lakehawks won by a mercy rule walk-off in the bottom of the eighth inning after Joelvis Fernandez Angeles blasted a two-run homerun over the left center fence.

Inspiration Academy took a 1-0 lead in the second inning before Lake-Sumter scored three in the bottom half of the frame.

Ean Gimson led off the second with a walk and then stole second. Edwin Melendez reach on a single, moving Gimson into scoring position for Luke Bentley to hit a sacrifice fly and tie the game.

Ryan Jenkins came next with a triple to score Melendez from first. Jacob Delano stepped up with ground ball to the right side of the field scoring Jenkins, extending the Lakehawk lead 3-1.

Lake-Sumter added another run in the bottom of the fifth after Elvin Figueroa led off the inning with a single. Then, Eli Thurmond scored Figueroa from second with a base hit up the middle.

In the bottom of the sixth, Dylan Bigard stepped up with a pinch-hit RBI to score Colby White from third bringing the score to 5-1.

Matthew Dumas led off the seventh inning with an infield single and advanced to second on an overthrow. Gimson and Melendez followed with back-to-back doubles to score two more runs.

Colby White added another run with a single up the middle to score Melendez from second.

The Lakehawks secured the mercy rule win with five runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Bigard and Camden Williamson led off the inning with a pair of singles. Dumas loaded the bases after drawing a hit-by-pitch.

Gimson stepped denup with his third hit of the game, clearing the bases with a double down the left field line. Then, Fernandez hit a two-run homeun, his second of the season, to defeat the Lions by mercy rule.

Gimson went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, three runs scored, and a walk. Additioanlly, Jenkins, Delano, and Melendez recorded two hits each.

Six Lakehawk pitchers saw time in the mound in the win. Starting pitcher Larson McMaster recorded the win with 3.0 innings pitched to improve to 2-3 on the season.

In 12 batters faced, McMaster allowed just one run on three hits with two strikeouts.

With the win over the Lions, the Lakehawks improve to a 17-16-1 overall record.

Up next for the Lakehawks

Lakehawk Baseball continues Sun-Lakes Conference play this weekend against Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ).

Game one will be at The Hawks Nest at 1:00 p.m. Livestream video and stats will be available to those who cannot attend.

Saturday's doubleheader will be at FSCJ at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

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