The Golden Eagles softball team took two on the chin at Lakeland Wednesday, as the homestanding Lakers won both games of a twinbill, 9-3 & 4-3.
Every time the Navy and Gold made a move to try and separate themselves from Lakeland in the first game, the hosts had an answer. The Eagles scored two runs in the top of the first inning, only to see the Lakers tally three times in the home half to take a 3-2 lead.
After a scoreless second inning, KSU Tusc evened the score on a solo homerun from Dessa Dubbert. It was Dubberts first four-bagger at the collegiate level. But again, the hosts responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-3 lead.
Lakeland added three more runs in the fifth and a single run in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach as they banged out 10 hits, four of them doubles.
Dubbert was 2/4 at the plate with a solo shot and a single, while Harley Mason added two hits in three trips with a double and a single.
All the scoring of the second game was done over the first three innings, as the Lakers scored two runs in each of the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles bats woke up in the top of the third inning as Mallory Wolf hit the first-ever homerun of her softball career to get KSU Tusc on the board. Regan Brown followed with a single and was brought home by a double from Mason to cut the lead to 4-2. Dubbert then singled to send Mason to third, and the deficit was trimmed to 4-3 after Karlee Peach singled home Mason. The side was retired in a three-run third inning with two Eagles left on base.
Neither team managed a run the rest of the way as Lakeland secured a 4-3 win.
Mason and Brown each had two hits for KSU Tusc, as Mason had a double and a single and Brown collected two safeties. Wolf had the only extra base hit.
Karlee Peach catches a pop up and avoids colliding with the Lakeland batter. (Photo by Jim Cummings)
Mallory Wolf hit first-ever career homerun. Dessa Dubbert hit her first-ever collegiate homerrun.