HILLSDALE, Mich. -- The Lake Erie softball team concluded their weekend road trip today with a doubleheader against the defending G-MAC champion Hillsdale College Chargers. Despite a strong offensive first game, the Storm would drop both games on the day.
GAME 1
LEC - 8
HC - 10
The Storm jumped out to an early lead in game one, kicking it off with a double by
Peyton Powers, who came around to score on an RBI triple by
Sydney Taylor.
Lily Turkowski capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center field to give Lake Erie, and their pitching staff, a 2-0 lead.
The Chargers tied up the game in the bottom half of the inning and took a 5-2 lead in the second. Powers kicked off the third inning with her first career home run to left field, trimming the deficit to just 5-3. A Turkowski double scored
Megan Miller and brought them within one run and the Storm pitching responded with a quick, scoreless frame in the bottom half of the inning.
Despite threatening to score in the fourth, Lake Erie was unable to get any runners to cross. The Chargers, however, broke out with a four-run inning in the bottom half, taking a 9-4 lead.
The Storm offense prevailed though. Turkowski kicked off the fifth with a single to right center field and
Kaitlyn Hendrian lifted one over the right field fence for her first career home run, trimming the deficit to 9-6.
Hillsdale added one final run in the bottom half of the inning and the Storm added two runs in the top of the 6th courtesy of a Taylor walk and a Turkowski home run.
In the top of the seventh, with just a 10-8 deficit,
Faith Thompson gave the Storm hope with a double in the right center gap. Unfortunately, she was left stranded and the Storm came up just short in one of their most offensively productive games on the season.
Turkowski led the offensive charge, going 3-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Powers and Miller each provided two hits while Taylor, Hendrian, Thompson,
Vanessa White, and
Allie Jackson accounted for the team's remaining ones.
Sydney Murray impressed in the circle, throwing two innings in relief, allowing just two hits and one run.
GAME 2
LEC - 0
HC - 9
5 innings
The Storm bats went quiet in game two.
Peyton Powers,
Rachel Fender, and
Allie Jackson each had a hit in the game while
Vanessa White,
Lillian Campbell, and Fender each drew a walk.
The Chargers jumped out early with a two-run first inning and a three-run second. The Storm pitching held them scoreless in the third but the Hillsdale offense responded with a four-run fourth inning, concluding the game with a 9-0 finish.
Looking Ahead
The Storm will begin four-straight home series this Wednesday, March 25th when they host the Tiffin Dragons. The doubleheader is set to start at 3 p.m.
