Lakers Manage Another Split Of Spring Break Doubleheader

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Monday provided the full gamut of emotions for Roosevelt at the USSSA Spring Break Games in Florida.

The Lakers (4-6) opened the day with a thrilling walk-off 3-2 win over St. Thomas before falling in the afternoon in a run-ruled shortened 9-1 matchup to Marian. It is the fourth time in five doubleheaders to kick off the season that Roosevelt has split the two games on the day.

St. Thomas entered the day unbeaten and showed that mettle from the first batter, who lined a triple into right field then scored on Eliza Belter's throw to third base. The Bobcats scored their second run in the second inning on a fielder's choice that allowed the leadoff single to score. Those were two of the three hits St. Thomas was able to muster off Kate Sisson, who struck out a pair in four innings in the circle.

Sisson received some early run support as well courtesy of Scout Kram, who again used her speed to make life difficult for the defense. The speedy outfielder worked a leadoff walk then stole second base before advancing to third on Emily Zuniga's groundout. Brynn Dvoracek completed Kram's circuit with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field that tied the game at 1.

Kram scored the Lakers' second run of the game in her next at-bat after reaching base with a one-out single to the shortstop. The junior stole second again and once again advanced to third on a Zuniga groundout. This time, however, she scored on a passed ball before Dvoracek flew out to left field. Kram finished the day 1 for 2 with two runs scored in addition to her two stolen bases.

The Bobcats nearly took the lead in the fourth inning, but Athena Pomele-Pen caught a sacrifice bunt attempt then fired to Zuniga covering third base for an inning-ending double play. Roosevelt threatened in the fifth inning with Anaisa Lozada singling then advancing to second on a throw to nab Emma Wokurka at third base. Lozada then stole third and nearly gave the Lakers the lead on a dropped third strike that got away from the catcher, but St. Thomas recovered just in time to nab Lozada at the plate.

Lozada found her revenge in the seventh inning with the walk-off double that scored Eliza Belter for the 3-2 win. Kirstin Fudge opened the inning with a double, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Belter then lined a single into left field and advanced to second when Wokurka grounded out to third base. That set the stage for Lozada's two-out double into right field that earned Roosevelt its fourth win of the season.

The momentum did not carry over into the second game of the day as Roosevelt was held hitless in its first pass through the order. The Lakers did eventually find a rhythm at the plate in the fifth inning with three of their four hits, but they came up just one run short of keeping the game alive against the Knights.

Despite Roosevelt committing three errors in the field, eight of Marian's nine runs were earned while tagging Sisson for seven runs in three innings then scoring twice of Samantha Norman in the fourth. The Knights hit a three-run homer in the second inning off Sisson as part of a four-run frame then added three more in the third inning to take control of the game.

Zuniga finally put the Lakers on the scoreboard in the hit column with a fourth-inning single before the bats came alive in the fifth. Dvoracek singled to lead off the frame then Madison Sullivan knocked a single that put runners on the corners with one out. Fudge knocked in a run with a pinch-hit single and Trinity Kelly reached on a fielder's choice. However, that was as far as the rally would go for the Lakers.

Roosevelt gets a rest day on Tuesday before returning to the diamond on Wednesday for two more games in Florida. The Lakers will face Fisher College at 10:30 a.m. then face off with WVU Tech at 1 p.m.