Kirtland, OH---The Lakeland softball team homered five times in each game Friday afternoon, cruising past visiting Lorain County 14-4 in the opener and 20-0 in the nightcap to move above the .500 mark for the first time this season.  The Lakers (10-9) travel to OSU-Newark on Wednesday for a non-conference double-header.

Home runs have become a theme of late for Lakeland, which ranks in the top-10 nationally in the category.  Through 19 games this season, the Lakers have gone yard 29 times.  They are ranked sixth in the nation and are ahead of teams which have played as many as 43 games to date.  Freshman Shayla Purnell leads the way with six on the season while three others have hit five.  LCC has homered in seven consecutive games, which includes conference matchups with Sinclair and Owens.

Game One – Lakeland 14, Lorain County 4 (5 Innings)

Freshman Chantel Smithberger homered twice while Shayla Purnell, Skylar Lund, and Rachel Martin each went yard once as Lakeland stormed out to a 5-1 lead after the first inning and never looked back.  Purnell went 4-for-4 on the day with four runs scored while Martin and Smithberger each drove in three.  

Kara Fitzgerald struck out three in a complete-game victory, the second in as many days for the sophomore.

Game Two – Lakeland 20, Lorain County 0 (5 Innings)

The hosts scored 15 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning en route to the shutout victory.  

Morgan Redmond scattered two hits and struck out eight to improve to 6-3 on the year.

Smithberger has four hits over the past three games, all of which have gone for home runs.