Softballers earn two shutout victories

By Michael Leek
Sports Editor

The LCC softball team defensively shut down Muskegon Community College in a pair of road games Tuesday, April 30. LCC won the first game 8-0 in five innings and the second 7-0.

Both games were non-conference, keeping the Stars’ conference record at 23-3 but improving their overall record to 35-15.

Freshman pitched Kyra Shadduck was on the mound for the Stars in the first game and pitched all five innings. Shadduck only gave up two hits and had seven strikeouts. This win moves her pitching record on the season to 20-5.

Offensively, LCC swung the bats well, with eight of the ten batters who made an appearance at the plate recording at least one hit.

The Stars had multiple batters who recorded two hits in the first game, one of them being Shadduck, who also had an RBI. Sophomores Paige Antcliff and Jenna Morse, and freshman Abby Fichtner, also recorded two hits.

Shadduck pitched and batted well during the game and said trying to stay focused can be challenging.

“Fatigue does not play a factor, but you definitely have to be mentally stronger more days than others,” Shadduck said.

The second game was a similar story to the first, in that LCC swung the bats well.

Sophomore Kelsey Merillat pitched all seven innings for the Stars, only giving up three hits.

Antcliff and Morse both recorded two hits again for LCC and Antcliff had one RBI. Freshman Malea Gardner also recorded two hits and brought in two RBIs. Sophomore Madison Travis hit the only home run of the day and had three RBI.

LCC only has four more games scheduled before the post-season, all at home. The first two are Thursday, May 2 against Glen Oaks Community College and the other two will be on Saturday, May 4, against Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

The Stars beat both teams multiple times in their previous matchups this season, but also lost one game to Glen Oaks.

Shadduck said facing a team multiple times a season is more difficult than just once.

“They know your pitching and how our team hits,” Shadduck said. “It is a challenge we are ready to face though.”