Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

Lakeland came into this season with something to prove.

After finishing 6-14 a year ago, the Lady Chiefs knew that record did not tell the full story. Too many of those losses were close. Too many games felt like they were right there, only to slip away. A season like that can either shake a team’s confidence or light something inside of them.

For Lakeland, it clearly lit a fire.

The Lady Chiefs had already shown flashes of what they could be. They picked up a dramatic walk-off win over Blue Ridge, then followed it up by mercy-ruling Forest City 15-0. But on Friday, they found themselves on the other side of it, getting mercy-ruled by Holy Cross.

And you could feel what that did.

The frustration. The hunger. The edge.

There was some blood boiling, and Lakeland looked like a team that showed up Tuesday ready to take it out on somebody.

On a beautiful day for softball, the Lady Chiefs made the trip to Honesdale and wasted little time taking control.

This was not a day where Lakeland came to hang around, test the waters, or slowly figure out what kind of team it could be.

The Lady Chiefs came to take ownership of the game.

Right from the start, Lakeland let its bats do some talking — but just as importantly, its patience at the plate spoke just as loudly. The Lady Chiefs may have finished with only seven hits, but they turned the afternoon into a long one for Honesdale by drawing 19 walks and applying constant pressure from inning to inning.

And honestly, that matters.

Not every win has to look pretty on paper. You cannot score if you do not get on base, and Lakeland found way after way to do exactly that. Whether it came from a hit, a disciplined at-bat, or a free pass, the Lady Chiefs kept the line moving, kept runners on base, and kept themselves in control.

It may not have been flashy in every inning, but it was effective.

And for a Lakeland team trying to turn last year’s close losses into confident wins this spring, that is exactly the kind of performance that matters.

From the very first at-bat, Lakeland looked locked in.

Leading off for the Lady Chiefs, Mick Eremo set the tone by ripping a single toward shortstop and reaching safely. Zoey Gregory followed by working a walk, and just like that, Lakeland had traffic on the bases early.

Then came Olivia Lach.

Lach sent a ball into left field that brought Gregory home, although Eremo had been thrown out trying to steal third before the play finished developing. Even so, the Lady Chiefs were on the board first, grabbing a 1-0 lead and putting Honesdale on its heels almost immediately.

“I was looking for a good pitch to hit while also making sure I stayed disciplined in the box,” said Lakeland’s Olivia Lach.

She added, “Capitalizing on runs early in the game is very important for our team, but also locking down on defense is what wins us these games. Our approach at the plate today was to see pitches and be patient in the box. Working the count and being disciplined helped us do that.”

Lakeland was only getting started.

Lach later came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Abby Ross drew a walk. Alix Roberts followed with another walk. Tori Wormuth then delivered a single that brought Ross across the plate for a 3-0 lead. A groundout by Kendell Sewitsky still produced a run as Roberts crossed home, stretching the lead to 4-0, and before the inning could finally end, Wormuth scored on another wild pitch.

Just like that, Lakeland had hung a five-spot in the opening inning.

And in the bottom half, the Lady Chiefs’ defense made sure the momentum stayed exactly where it was. Lakeland retired Honesdale in order, shutting down any chance of an early answer and sending a message that this would be a long afternoon for the home team.

The second inning felt a lot like the first.

Eremo worked a walk. Gregory followed with another walk. Lach put the ball in play and, even on a groundout, Lakeland still found a way to score as Eremo came home to make it 6-0. Gregory also scored in the inning, pushing the lead to 7-0, while Ross, Roberts, and Sewitsky all reached via walk as Lakeland continued to wear down Honesdale pitch by pitch.

Once again, Lakeland’s defense answered with another shutdown inning in the bottom half, recording another three-up, three-down frame and keeping complete control of the game.

By the third inning, the Lady Chiefs were no longer just in control.

They were pouring it on.

Eremo opened the inning with a double, Gregory reached again with a walk, and Lach stayed hot with a single that brought Eremo home for an 8-0 advantage. Roberts then lined a single into left field, allowing Gregory to score and making it 9-0. Wormuth followed with a walk, Lach crossed the plate to push it to 10-0, and Ross later came around on a wild pitch to make it 11-0.

“I had a lot of confidence in myself and the team behind me when I was at bat,” said Lakeland’s Mick Eremo. “When I’m on base and hear everyone cheering in the dugout, it gives me confidence to run the bases and try to score.”

She continued, “Our pitcher and I both have a lot of trust in our teammates on the field to make the outs when the ball is hit, and I think that’s why everything comes together so well.”

Lakeland still was not done.

Tolerico grounded out, but even that brought home another run as Roberts scored to extend the lead to 12-0.

By that point, every inning felt like pressure. Every at-bat felt like trouble for Honesdale. Lakeland was not just stringing together offense — the Lady Chiefs were forcing mistakes, taking their free bases, capitalizing on opportunities, and never letting the game slow down.

“When there are runners on base, my mindset is just to stay in the box and make contact with the ball any way I can to advance the runners,” said Lakeland’s Alexis Tolerico.

She added, “It’s important to stay aggressive and not let up because it gives the team a cushion, taking some pressure off our shoulders, especially in the field. I think the team as a whole not only made good contact with the ball but got on base any chance we got, which helped us stay ahead.”

Honesdale managed to scratch across one run in the third inning, but there was never any real shift in momentum. Lakeland kept control the rest of the way, eventually finishing off a dominant 17-1 victory in a game that ended after five innings.

“Coming in to today’s game, we were missing two of our main starters. Our girls did a fantastic job by stepping up, staying focused and setting the tone early offensively.  This was so important because it definitely took the pressure off of them defensively. “ Said Lakelands Head Coach, Dana Diskin

She added: “This year our focus was to have better “at bats” and bat approaches.  Looking for our pitch to hit, and if that doesn’t come, gracefully taking a walk.  Anyway to get on base, to eventually score as many runs as we can. Our pitching and fielding was spot on today.  We needed this for our confidence coming off of a tough loss from holy cross.  As long as our defense minimizes the errors, we should have a great competitive season.”

For the Lady Chiefs, this was more than just a win.

It was a response.

A response to last year’s frustrating close losses. A response to Friday’s tough defeat against Holy Cross. And maybe most importantly, it was a reminder of what Lakeland can look like when it plays aggressive, disciplined softball and puts constant pressure on an opponent from the first pitch to the last.

Tuesday in Honesdale, the Lady Chiefs didn’t just win.

They made a statement.

——————————————-