PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie softball team hosted the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers today for another Great Midwest series. After dropping the first game, the Storm bounced back and won game two to help send off their seniors right in the final home game of their careers.


GAME 1

KENTUCKY WESLEYAN - 4
LAKE ERIE - 2

Lake Erie was the first to strike on the day and most of that was thanks in part to Emma Spahr. Spahr led off the inning with a single through the left side and would end up stealing second and third. A couple batters later, Spahr would score on an RBI ground out by Madi Eckert and give her team a 1-0 lead.

In the next inning, the Storm would extend that lead. After Peyton Powers doubled, she was pinch ran for by Tarryn Morris and Lily Turkowski drove her home with a single up the middle.

Both sides put up a scoreless fourth inning but in the fifth, the Panthers tied the game up with a two-run inning and extended the lead with a two-run sixth.

The Storm wouldn't threaten to score in their final two frames and they fell in game one, 4-2.

Besides Powers' double, the Storm recorded five singles in the game. Those would be hit by Turkowski, Spahr, Eckert, and Jasmine Gonzales.

Kai Mortensen was the starting pitcher in the game and she pitched five effective innings, surrendering four hits, allowing two earned runs and only one walk.

WP: I. Mann (7-18)
LP: Addison Nugent (0-16)



GAME 2

KENTUCKY WESLEYAN - 3
LAKE ERIE - 4

Unlike last game, the Panthers got on top first. They put up one in the first inning but the Storm would respond shortly after.

In the bottom of the second, Jasmine Gonzales reached on a single and Maddie Pawlak reached on a hit by pitch. Both would advance on a wild pitch and during the next at bat, Madi Eckert drove them both in with an RBI single down the right field line, giving the Storm a 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately, the Panthers were also able to respond and they tied the game up with a solo home run in the top of the third. 

In the bottom half, CJ Garcia singled down the right field line and advanced on a throwing error by the right fielder. This set up Gonzales who drove in Garcia with an RBI single up the middle, putting the Storm back on top again.

The top of the fifth saw the Panthers continue to fight. After a single and a stolen base, the Panthers tied up the game again but the Storm pitching held the rest of the inning.

Garcia came up huge in the bottom of the inning, kicking things off with a triple down the left field line which set up Emma Spahr for a sacrifice fly, giving the Storm the lead once again.

This was all they needed.

Lily Turkowski came in to pitch in the sixth and locked down the Panthers in the inning and in the seventh to secure the win for the Storm and the first save of her career while also securing the first win of Addison Nugent's career.

Nugent got the start in the circle and went five innings, giving up six hits, allowing three earned runs, walking one and striking out one.

Gonzales celebrated her final home game with a 3-for-3 day and was joined by Garcia who also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3. Peyton Powers, Eckert and Brynn Gillen each accounted for the remaining hits.

WP: Addison Nugent (1-16)
LP: I. Mann (7-19)
SV: Lily Turkowski (1)


Looking Ahead
Lake Erie will conclude their season with back-to-back road series. They will first visit the Malone University Pioneers on Friday, April 25th before traveling down to Columbus, Ohio for a doubleheader against the Ohio Dominican Panthers on Saturday, April 26th.