Tops Baseball Splits with Lakeland

The Tri-C Baseball team playing their 5th and 6th conference games in four days showed some signs of exhaustion in the first game of a road doubleheader at Lakeland on Monday afternoon.  

Game 1, L 5-3

The Tops suffered their first OCCAC loss of the season, 5-3 on Monday afternoon at Lakeland.  The team jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Braden Reed singled to start the game and advanced to second on Mason Koons groundout.  A wild pitch got Reed to third.  After a Carter Gast walk, Jake Downey doubled to drive in two and it looked the Tops were off and running.  However, the Lakers scored three times in the bottom of the second and once in the third to take a 4-2 lead.  The teams exchanged runs in the 5th and that was all the scoring. Riley McElwain took the loss for the Tops, working two and a third innings giving up 4 runs on 4 hits and striking out 4.  Ricardo Medrano held the Lakers to only 1 run and 3 hits in his 3 and 2/3 innings of relief.  At the plate, Jake Downey was the only top with multiple hits and also had two RBI's.

Game 2, W 4-1

Things were looking bleak for the Tops as it appeared a sweep would occur as they were held scoreless for 6 straight innings. In a classic pitcher's duel, Tri-C got a great start from Skylar Kries who went 4 and one third innings, giving up only 1 run and striking out 4.  Trent Barstow went 2/3 of an inning of scoreless relief.  Jackson Judy picked up the win by tossing 2 innings of shutout ball with 4 strikeouts.  The score was 1-0 Lakeland as the Tops headed to the top of the 7th.  Jon Yakovic led off the Tops seventh with a single through the left side.  After a Connor Bozak walk and a Braden Reed flyout, Mason Koons delivered with a bloop single to right to load the bases.  Carter Gast then hit an opposite field single to left driving in Yakovic and Bozak to give the Tops the lead, 2-1.  Jake Downey singled to left to load the bases again.  A passed ball allowed Koons to score and advance the runners and Carter Blakeman hit a sacrifice fly to score Gast and the Tops took the 4-1 lead to the bottom of the 7th.  Judy struck out the first Laker and induced a ground out but an error and two singles by Lakeland loaded the bases but a Judy struck out the final batter to seal the win.

The Tops move to 18-8 on the season and 11-1 in OCCAC play.  The Tops are off until this weekend, where they will play four against Hocking, away on Saturday and at home on Sunday.