Perhaps the Prior Lake softball team needed the friendly confines of its home park to get its bats going.
The Lakers banged out 15 hits in rolling to a 15-6 win over Burnsville April 18 in South Suburban Conference play. Prior Lake went into the game scoring just a combined three runs in its first three games, all league losses.
Rosemount won 15-2 over the Lakers to open the season April 12. Prior Lake was indoors at the TCO Dome in Lakeville April 13 playing two games, losing 3-1 to Lakeville South and 11-0 to Rosemount.
Rosemount and Shakopee tied for the SSC title last year with 15-2 records, while the Lakers were third at 11-5.
In beating Burnsville, senior Brooke Holmes homered, finishing 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to the Lakers, while senior Madeline Marvel was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs.
Sophomore Bree Holmes tripled and went 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore Alexa Bianchi-Rossi was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Sophomore Lauren Thurk also drove in two runs, finishing 3 for 4, while junior Brooke Thompson was for 1 for 3 with two RBIs.
Junior Courtney Hennen finished 1 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while eighth grader Brynn Liddle was 1 for 3 with two runs scored. Ninth-grader Sydney Woyak also reached base twice and scored two runs.
Bree Holmes got the win on the mound, working 5 1/3 innings and giving three runs (two earned) with one strikeout. Eighth grader Peyton Chambers recorded the last two outs of the game for the Lakers.
In the season loss to Rosemount in the season opener, Prior Lake got down 7-2 after three innings and couldn’t recover. Brooke Holmes homered in the loss, while Bianchi-Rossi also drove in a run.
Bree Holmes took the loss, working 2 1/3 innings and giving up seven runs (five earned) with two strikeouts. Chambers allowed seven runs (three earned in two relief innings, while ninth grader Ada Joy Gerhardt allowed one run in two-thirds of an inning.
In the indoor loss to Rosemount, Prior Lake was no-hit by senior Jessa Snippers, who struck out eight. Gerhardt took the loss, allowing four runs in 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts outs, while Chambers gave up seven runs (six earned) in three innings of work with two strikeouts.
Against Lakeville South, Bree Holmes worked four innings and allowed two runs with three strikeouts in taking the loss. Chambers had one strikeout in four innings of work, giving one unearned run.
Brooke Holmes homered for the Lakers’ lone run in the fourth inning, finishing 3 for 3.
Prior Lake will take on Shakopee in a home doubleheader May 1. The regular season ends May 24 at Apple Valley in league action.
Section play starts May 23 with the title game set for June 1. The entire tournament will be played at Miller Park in Eden Prairie. Chanhassen is the defending champion.
The Class 4A state tournament will be June 8-9 at its annual site, Caswell Park in Mankato. Forest Lake won the title last spring.
