Pitching Leads Lakehawks Over Eagles

Leesburg, Fla. – Continuing with their hot start to the season, the Lake-Sumter State College softball team swept Polk State in a double header before hitting the road to take on Pasco-Hernando State.

After five games in two days on opening weekend, Lake-Sumter was able to get a few days off before hosting Polk State on Friday. Both teams traded one run in the second inning, before LSSC took the lead in the third. Nini Underwood and Rachel Phelps both came around to score in the inning.

In the top of the fifth, the Eagles struck for three runs to go up, 4-3. Lauryn Markis drove in Phelps from second with two outs on a double to centerfield. Lucia Esposito followed that up with her own two out single, bringing around Markis to retake the lead, 5-4.

Lefty pitcher, Allie Geier came in to record the save striking out two. Kaitlyn Van Buren snagged her second win of the season after a scoreless top of the sixth inning.

Game two got off to a quick start with Taylor Dotson knocking in Underwood in the first. That one run would be all Abbey Primavera would need. The righty proceeded to take control of the game. Primavera did not allow a base runner until the fourth.

LSSC was able to plate one in the bottom of the sixth when Dotson brought around Brooke Ferguson from second. Primavera shut down the Polk offense in the seventh to get the complete game, shutout victory. The Spring Hill native gave up just three hits while striking out four and not walking a batter in the 2-0 win.

It was the bats that took center stage in game one against Pasco-Hernando on Saturday. The Lakehawks exploded for 15 runs on 16 hits including five doubles, two from Underwood. Dotson and Underwood combined for five hits, six RBIs and five runs scored. Hailey Dobbs, Ferguson and Esposito all boasted multi-hit games.

Geier got the start for LSSC and was replaced by Gillian Heinritz in the fourth. Erin Huffman and Van Buren closed out the final two innings from the circle. Heinritz grabbed her first win as a Lakehawk in the 15-9 victory.

Emily "Ernie" Murphy put on a stellar pitching performance in game two with her second start of the season. The freshman tossed 4 1/3 innings giving up just two earned runs on six hits and one walk. The offense could not string together hits behind their pitcher.

The Lakehawks lone run came in the sixth inning when Underwood scored on a heads up play when Ferguson was sliding into second. Taylor Turner led off the top of the seventh with a single and would get to second on a sac bunt by Aura Blackburn. That would be as close as LSSC would get to tying up the ball game, falling to the Bobcats, 2-1.

Lake-Sumter moves their season record to 6-3. The team will be playing their next two games at home, but on the Clermont campus at NTC. Tuesday the team will welcome State College of Florida – Manatee for a double header beginning at 4:30. Thursday, it will be St. Pete College taking on the Lakehawks at NTC in double header action, starting at 4:30.