Lakers Crowned Conference Co-Champions, Earn Automatic Bid to Regionals

Kirtland, OH---Entering the final weekend of conference play, the Lakeland baseball team trailed first place Sinclair by three games.  

The conference standings were turned upside down after Cuyahoga swept four games from Sinclair and Lakeland took the first two in a four game set with Owens over the weekend.
 
Heading into Tuesday's regular-season finale, the Lakers knew they needed two more wins to clinch a share of the OCCAC title.  After holding on for a 5-4 win in game one, Lakeland left no doubt in a 9-2 victory in the nightcap.    

The Lakers, who hold the tie-breaker based on run differential, return to the Region 12 Tournament for the first time since 2008 and will be the top seed out of the south when play begins next week.  

Game One – Lakeland 5, Owens Community College 4

Lakeland scored five runs with two outs in the bottom of the third inning then went to their ace down the stretch to hold off Owens in the opener.  

Giancarlo Saia and Wil Shortreed hit back-to-back doubles with two runners on to give the hosts a 4-0 advantage before Wisner followed with an RBI double of his own to stretch the lead. 

The Express got to starter Matt Davidson in the top of fifth, scoring three runs to trim the deficit to two.

Matt Hamons took the mound to open the sixth inning but issued three straight walks to load the bases without an out before giving way to John Gora, who looked to stop the bleeding in a rare relief appearance.  

The sophomore ace did just that, inducing a double-play and a ground out to end the inning with just a single run allowed and the lead still intact.  

After the Lakers went scoreless in the sixth, Gora struck out the side in the top of the seventh on 11 pitches to inch Lakeland closer to a share of the OCCAC title.  

Game Two – Lakeland 9, Owens Community College 2

Owens jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Lakeland responded with a run in the bottom of the second to pull even.

Sophomore Matt Wheeler led off the third inning with a home run to left field to give the Lakers their first lead of the game at 2-1.  One inning later, Andrew Dito led off with a stand up triple before Mike Sutkaytis laced a single down the third base line to double the advantage.

The Express got one back in the top of the fifth to pull within a run, but Giancarlo Saia countered with a home run to deep center field and Bobby Dragon roped an RBI single to make it 5-2 with two innings to go.

Freshman Brian Kusey, who was stellar all afternoon, retired the side in order in the top of the sixth, setting the stage for a four-run inning for the hosts.

Wheeler led off the sixth with a double before eventually scoring.  Wil Shortreed and Mason Wisner also came around to score before Matt Hamons scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-2.  
Kusey took care of the rest, inducing a game and series-ending fly out to left field and setting off a celebration on the mound.

The conference title is the first for Lakeland since the fall of 2008, when the OCCAC played a split-season schedule.  It is the Lakers first championship in the spring since 2004.