WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (Softball) – On 18 hits and 15 runs scored, the Lakehawks secured two wins over Polk State on Thursday afternoon. Ali Shenefield earned the win in game one and Darrian Pippin recorded the win in game two.
Game One – Lake-Sumter 6 (3-2), Polk State 1 (0-1)
The Lakehawks took an early 2-0 lead on the Eagles in the first inning.
Tatum McGrath led off with a walk. Molly Bender came up next with a double to left field to score McGrath.
Reese Snipes moved Bender to third, then Raquel Camuglia came up with a sac fly to center to record the RBI.
In the top of the fourth, Makenzi Heaton led off with an infield hit to short then Bella Baez placed a sac bunt to move Heaton to third. Alex Baez came up with a sac fly to left field to score Heaton.
The Eagles remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth. Inning leadoff, Kanitria Antenor reached based on an error and then stole second.
Jacey Bisbee took a long ball to right field recording a triple to score Antenor but the Eagle offense was silenced for the remainder of the game.
Region 8 Player of the Week Snipes added another run to the board in the fifth with a solo shot to center field.
In the top of the sixth, Pippin lead off with a hard grounder to the first baseman, forcing an error. Emily Gable entered the game to run for Pippin.
Heaton came up with a double to left field, scoring Gable. She advanced to third on a ground ball by B. Baez.
McGrath game up with next with a two out single to left field, scoring Heaton. The final scored came to be 6-1.
Shenefield moved to 2-0 on the season with another impressive performance on the mound. The Region 8 Pitcher of the Week fanned eight Eagle batters, while allowing just three hits, one walk and one run.
Game Two – Lake-Sumter 9 (4-2), Polk State 5 (0-2)
Polk State took the early lead in game two scoring one in the bottom of the seventh. Leadoff batter Chelsea Rae Herbert reached on an error and was batted in by Alma Fernandez.
Desiree Romeo led off the second inning with a bunt. Kreighton Steinke came right after with a single to left field.
A. Baez reached on a walk to load the bases for Molly Bender with two outs. Bender answered with a hard-hit line drive to second base, proving too much for her to handle allowing Romeo to score.
The Eagles scored one in the bottom of the third, taking the lead again 2-1.
In the fourth, A. Baez reached base with a hit by pitch. Bender came up with a single to center, moving A. Baez all the way to third.
The Lakehawks managed to take the lead over the Eagles 4-2 on three perfectly executed first and third baserunning situations.
The Eagles scored three in the bottom of the fourth, but freshman Kayley Williams was able to work the jam only giving the Lakehawks a one-run deficit.
Pippin relieved Williams on the mound and was able to keep Polk State scoreless for the remainder of the game.
The Lakehawks took the lead back in the top of the sixth with a leadoff walk by B. Baez, then stole second and third, scoring on an error on the catcher to tie the game.
McGrath hit a single and Bender reached on a walk to give Camuglia two base runners. Camuglia delivered with a two-out single to center field to score McGrath and Bender followed on an error by the center fielder.
The final score of game two was 9-5 with Pippin recording the win in relief to improve her record to 2-0. In 3.1 innings, Pippin kept the Eagles hitless with three strikeouts and just one walk.
Up next for the Lakehawks
The Lakehawks will be home Saturday, January 3 for a double header against Hillsborough Community College. Livestream will be available for those who cannot attend.
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