WRITTEN: JERIC YURKANIN
TRIPP PARK: Clouds drifted over Tripp Park, and a light rain began to fall just moments before the first pitch.
The field certainly needed it. The dirt was dry, dusty, and kicking up beneath the players’ cleats, but the brief drizzle wasn’t nearly enough to soften the playing surface.
A few raindrops landed on my notebook during the game, but the clouds quickly moved on.
The Lakeland Lady Chiefs didn’t bring the rain—but they certainly brought the thunder with their bats, pitching, and defense.
Inside the circle, Katie S. was electric. One Old Forge batter after another stepped into the box, only to watch her pitches flash across the plate like lightning.
Katie finished the game with an incredible 14 strikeouts, keeping the Lady Blue Devils’ offense quiet for most of the afternoon.
Lakeland entered the tournament with confidence after winning another tournament last week. The
Lady Chiefs had also defeated Old Forge a few weeks earlier, but they weren’t satisfied. They arrived at Tripp Park with another goal in mind: keep winning.
One question being discussed among Lakeland fans along the fence was whether this talented 12U All-Star group could eventually bring new life to the Lakeland varsity softball program.
Lakeland has experienced a few difficult varsity seasons, but several fans believe this group could someday help the Lady Chiefs return to District 2 championship contention.
One fan confidently said yes while talking to the person sitting beside her.
That future is still several years away.
But on this day, the present looked very bright.
Old Forge vs. Lakeland: Inning-by-Inning
Top of the First — Old Forge
Lakeland pitcher Katie S. set the tone immediately.
Aleia D. grounded out to the pitcher before Addison C. struck out looking. Lyla L. then went down swinging to end the inning.
Three batters came to the plate, and all three were retired as Lakeland opened the game with a quick defensive frame.
Bottom of the First — Lakeland
The Lady Chiefs wasted little time getting their offense started.
Avery R. led off with a line-drive single. After Katie S. grounded out to second base, Leah M. delivered a hard ground-ball single into left field, allowing Avery to score the game’s first run.
Lakeland 1, Old Forge 0
Skylar R. flew out to first base for the second out, but Lakeland continued to apply pressure.
Auden M. singled on a ground ball to left field, scoring Leah and extending the lead to 2-0.
Addison M. followed with a line-drive triple to right field, bringing Auden home and giving the Lady Chiefs a three-run advantage.
Lakeland 3, Old Forge 0
Top of the Second — Old Forge
Katie S. continued to control the game from the circle.
Brielle C. struck out looking, and Gracie G. went down swinging. Nina M. drew a walk, giving Old Forge its first baserunner, but Cecilia B. struck out looking to end the inning.
Lakeland kept the Lady Blue Devils off the scoreboard for a second consecutive frame.
Bottom of the Second — Lakeland
Coral S. struck out swinging to begin the inning before Layla G. drew a walk.
Avery R. struck out looking for the second out, but Katie S. helped her own cause with a fly-ball single that scored Layla.
Lakeland 4, Old Forge 0
As the Lady Chiefs returned to the field, Smash Mouth’s “All Star” played over the speakers.
The song fit the moment. Lakeland had built a four-run lead through two innings and was firmly in control of the tournament opener.
Top of the Third — Old Forge
Kylie M. was retired at first base following a dropped third strike.
Ellie T. struck out swinging, and Molly M. went down looking to complete another scoreless inning.
Katie S. continued to overpower Old Forge’s lineup with a steady mix of speed and command.
Bottom of the Third — Lakeland
Skylar R. reached base on a dropped third strike, and Auden M. followed with a walk.
Addison M. grounded out to second base before Kendall R. drew another walk, loading the bases.
Old Forge needed a defensive stop and received one.
Coral S. struck out swinging, and Layla G. struck out looking to end the inning. The Lady Blue Devils escaped the bases-loaded threat without allowing a run.
Top of the Fourth — Old Forge
Lilah S. struck out swinging, and Sophia K. went down looking as Katie S. quickly recorded the first two outs.
Old Forge, however, refused to go quietly.
Aleia D. reached base on an error, and Addison C. followed with a ground-ball single. Aleia then scored on a wild pitch, putting the Lady Blue Devils on the scoreboard.
Lakeland 4, Old Forge 1
Lyla L. drew a walk, but Brielle C. struck out looking to end the inning.
Old Forge had cut into the deficit, but Lakeland remained in control.
Bottom of the Fourth — Lakeland
Lylah K. opened the inning with a walk.
Avery R. grounded out to second base, and Katie S. lined out to shortstop for the second out.
Leah M. then delivered another timely hit, lining a single into right field to score Lylah and restore Lakeland’s four-run lead.
Lakeland 5, Old Forge 1
Skylar R. grounded out to second base to end the inning.
Top of the Fifth — Old Forge
Katie S. and the Lakeland defense quickly retired the side.
Gracie G. struck out swinging. Nina M. grounded out to third base, and Cecilia B. was retired at first following a dropped third strike.
It was another three-up, three-down inning for the Lady Chiefs.
Bottom of the Fifth — Lakeland
Auden M. flew out to the catcher to begin the inning.
Addison M. was hit by a pitch, giving Lakeland another baserunner, but Coral S. struck out as Old Forge kept the Lady Chiefs from adding to their lead.
Top of the Sixth — Old Forge
Kylie M. opened the inning with a walk, giving the Lady Blue Devils an opportunity to mount a late rally.
That opportunity quickly disappeared when Kylie was caught attempting to steal home for the first out.
Molly M. then struck out for the second out as Katie S. moved one step closer to completing a dominant performance in the circle. Then another batter strikes out. That’s ball game.
led by Leah M, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Katie S helped her own cause by going 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Auden M finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk, Addison M tripled and drove in a run, and Avery R added a hit and scored a run.
Lakeland also used its speed to pressure the defense throughout the game, stealing seven bases, with Leah M and Layla G each swiping two. In the circle, Katie S was dominant, tossing a complete-game one-hitter over six innings.
The left-hander allowed just one run (unearned), walked four, and struck out an impressive 14 batters while throwing 100 pitches to earn the victory.
Old Forge was limited to one hit, a double by Addison C, who also stole two bases. The team’s lone run came after drawing four walks and taking advantage of aggressive baserunning, finishing with six stolen bases as Aleia D, Kylie M, Lyla L, Nina M, and Addison C all recorded steals. In the circle, Addison C battled through five innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking four over 104 pitches.
Despite the loss, Old Forge continued to compete until the final out, but Lakeland’s timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and outstanding pitching proved to be the difference in the 5-1 victory.
When the final out was recorded, the smiles that had filled the Lakeland dugout throughout the afternoon grew even bigger.
The Lady Chiefs had done exactly what they came to Tripp Park to accomplish.
A week after winning another tournament championship, Lakeland carried that same confidence into the opening round and never looked back.
From the brief rain shower before the first pitch to the final strikeout, the Lady Chiefs controlled the game with dominant pitching, timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and a defense that gave Old Forge very few opportunities to build momentum.
Maybe those conversations taking place along the fence weren’t just wishful thinking after all.
As fans folded their chairs and slowly made their way toward the parking lot, the discussion continued about what this talented 12U group could become over the next several years.
Championships at this age do not guarantee future success at the varsity level, but the chemistry, confidence, work ethic, and strong fundamentals on display gave Lakeland supporters plenty of reasons to believe the future could be bright.
For now, however, this afternoon belonged to the Lady Chiefs.
The rain clouds disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived, but Lakeland’s thunder never faded. Behind a dominant performance from Katie S., timely offense, aggressive play on the bases, and another complete team effort, the Lady Chiefs earned a convincing 5-1 victory and moved one step closer to adding another tournament championship to an already impressive summer.
As the Lakeland players gathered their equipment and walked away from the field together, the message from their performance was clear: The Lady Chiefs did not come to Tripp Park simply hoping to win.
They came expecting to win—and they played like a team that believes another championship is within reach.
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