Phillips hurls no hitter as Tri-C downs Lakeland

KIRTLAND, Ohio (athletics.tri-c.edu) – The Cuyahoga Community College softball team (24-5, 15-1 OCCAC) continued their reign of dominance over Ohio Community College Athletic Conference opponents on the back of a five-inning no hitter by Julee Phillips (So./Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), beating Lakeland Community College 14-0 and 9-1, April 20.

The doubleheader was all Tri-C, as the Triceratops got both outstanding pitching and hitting from the entire roster.

Lakeland was only able to muster three walks as their game one offense, with Phillips keeping the Lakers out of the hit column and racking up nine strikeouts. This was Phillips' second no hitter of the season, matching her five-inning gem March 28 against Owens Community College.

It wasn't all Phillips in game one, though. The Triceratops bats also made the trip to Kirtland and were ready from the jump. Sophomore Isabelle Kepple (Miamisburg, Ohio) had three hits in the game – including two home runs – while Lexi Grey (So./Tallmadge, Ohio/Baldwin-Wallace) put up three hits of her own.

Game two saw more of the same, with Reese Adkins (So./Oak Harbor, Ohio) having her own two-homer performance, driving in four runs and leading the Triceratops to a 9-1 victory. It was the first multi-home run game of Adkins' career. Jayliana Wilt (Fr./Youngstown, Ohio) got the start in game two and put up a solid line of 3.0 innings pitched, two strikeouts and only one run allowed. Brooke Brubaker (Fr./Columbiana, Ohio) and Phillips finished the rest of the way, keeping the Lakers off the board.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One

• The Triceratops struck early and never looked back, with Sophie Durbin (So./Mansfield, Ohio/Mount Vernon Nazarene) lacing an RBI triple to put Tri-C on the board in the top of the third. Grey would add an RBI single and Kepple hit her first home run of the day, a two-run blast to put the Triceratops up 5-0 early.
• From there, it was all Triceratops. Eight runs went on the board for Tri-C in the fourth inning, headlined by another Kepple bomb and RBI doubles by Adkins and Wilt.
• The Triceratops added one more run in the fifth when Braelyn Boguski (Fr./Parma, Ohio) scored on a Riley Sebera (Fr./Parma, Ohio) sacrifice fly.

Game Two

• Just like the first game, the scoring didn't start until the top of the third when Adkins launched her first home run of the day, a solo shot.
• Lakeland put their only run of the day up in the bottom of the third, courtesy of an Emalee Harala RBI single to tie the game 1-1.
• The tie would hold for a bit before the Triceratops put up three runs in the top of the fifth, coming off of doubles by Durbin, Adkins and Kepple.
• The flood gates opened in the sixth with a Boguski double, Durbin single and Adkins' second home run making it 9-3 Triceratops.

UP NEXT

The Triceratops will be back in action April 22 for a doubleheader against OCCAC foe Terra State. First pitch from the Cedar Point Sports Force Parks is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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Follow the softball team on Instagram at @tri.c_softball.