Bay Softball rallies with six-run sixth but falls short to Lakewood 9-7

BAY VILLAGE, Ohio - Bay Softball nearly erased a nine-run deficit Wednesday night, but the Rockets’ late surge came up just short in a 9-7 loss to Lakewood at Bay High School.

The decisive stretch came early, when Lakewood built its advantage over the first three innings and then held on through Bay’s furious comeback attempt. Trailing 9-0 after the fifth, the Rockets finally broke through in the sixth with six runs on three hits. Ava Bottone singled home a run, Olivia Stehlik followed with an RBI single, an error brought in two more, and Ella Taulbee capped the inning with a two-run single that suddenly made it a game. Bay added another run as part of the late push, but could not complete the rally.

Lakewood opened the scoring in the top of the first. Carys Crone drew a walk with the bases loaded to force in the game’s first run, and the Rangers added another run in the inning. They pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second when Ella Bower drew a run-scoring walk. The biggest blow came in the third, when Lakewood scored five times despite recording only one hit. Emily Gillick drove in a run on a groundout, and two Bay errors helped the Rangers extend the lead to 8-0. Lakewood’s final run gave it a 9-0 cushion before the Rockets mounted their answer.

Bay finished with eight hits, two more than Lakewood’s six, and got multi-hit efforts from Taulbee, Julia Mavis and Stehlik. Mavis went 2-for-5 and led the Rockets with three RBIs. Bay also showed patience at the plate, drawing five walks. Even in the loss, the Rockets consistently put pressure on Lakewood’s defense, especially once the lineup turned over in the late innings.

Lucy Corbett went the distance for Bay, striking out eight over seven innings. She allowed nine runs, four earned, on six hits and 11 walks. Lakewood right-hander Ella Bower earned the win after allowing four hits and one run over 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and walking four. Bower also paced the Rangers offensively from the middle of the order, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Lakewood created additional pressure on the bases, drawing 11 walks and stealing five bases. Gillick and Illy Dagiasis each stole multiple bases, while Sophia Kovach and Gillick drew three walks apiece. For Bay, the late rally offered a glimpse of the lineup’s resilience after a difficult start. The Rockets are scheduled to return to the field Thursday against Rocky River.