MELBOURNE, Fla. – Roosevelt's pitching escaped several tricky situations to help the Lakers split their two games Friday at the Space Coast Games in Melbourne, Florida.

The Lakers (5-11) didn't generate much offense in the first game of the day, a 3-0 setback against Holy Family. Roosevelt had four hits in the game, but didn't put a runner on third base until there were two outs in the seventh inning. The Lakers responded, though, by blanking Walsh 4-0 and moved to 2-1 against the Cavaliers this week.

HOLY FAMILY 3, ROOSEVELT 0
The Lakers pitching staff gave the offense the chance to climb back into the game with several key pitches to escape tough jams. Catie Luzzi induced a double-play ball in the bottom of the first inning to wipe out runners on first and second with no outs. In the third inning, Riley Czarnecki inherited a tricky situation, but had a pair of strikeouts to limit the damage to just one run in the frame.

Holy Family scored twice in the second inning off Luzzi and looked poised to increase the lead again in the third. Back-to-back hits to start the frame left runners on the corners when Czarnecki entered the fray. After a walk loaded the bases, the Tigers scored a run on a single, but Ella Dvoracek threw out a second runner trying to score. Czarnecki then struck out the next two batters.

In the fifth inning, Kendall Pearson threw out a runner trying to score off a single to eliminate the only other threat Holy Family poised in the game.

Roosevelt put a runner on base early in both the second and fourth innings, only for that person to be caught trying to steal. Bianca Gallegos followed a Brynn Dvoracek walk with a single to put runners on first and second with one out, but the Lakers stranded them there. The Lakers again had two runners on in the sixth but couldn't drive either home. Caitlin Williams did make it to third after a pair of wild pitches in the seventh, but was left there to end the game.

ROOSEVELT 4, WALSH 0
Roosevelt put pressure on the Cavaliers defense early before finally breaking through in the third inning. Ella Dvoracek and Williams worked consecutive walks and both moved up 60 feet on a passed ball. Pearson hit a groundball to first base, but it did the trick as Dvoracek scored and Williams moved to third. Brynn Dvoracek followed with an RBI single to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

Kailey Hancock cruised in the first three innings, but found herself in early trouble in the fourth after a leadoff triple. Walsh added an infield single to put runners on the corners with no one out, but Hancock buckled down to keep the Cavaliers off the board. She struck out the next batter she faced swinging, induced an easy pop fly to second base then ended the frame with a second strikeout to escape damage.

Pearson added a second RBI in the fifth inning as the Lakers again used their speed to manufacture a run. Reyna Hyliard walked and pinch-runner Sydni Taylor was advanced with a sacrifice bunt. Taylor then took third on a passed ball, setting up Pearson for an RBI single to make it 3-0 Roosevelt.

Hancock again found herself in trouble in the bottom of the fifth after the first two hitters both bunted for base hits. Czarnecki came on in relief and walked the bases loaded before striking out the next two hitters she faced. A fly ball to left field ended the threat and kept the shutout alive for the Lakers.

Czarnecki allowed just two hits in 2.1 innings with both coming in the sixth inning before the freshman erased the runners with an inning-ending double play. Ella Dvoracek hit her second inside-the-park home run of the season in the top of the seventh to add on the final insurance marker. Rebecca Urbaniak picked up the final two outs in the seventh inning to seal the win for the Lakers.

UP NEXT: The Lakers close out their spring break trip in Florida on Saturday with contests against Tiffin and Thomas More.  

NOTE: Roosevelt vacated four wins from the first two weeks of the season for fielding an ineligible player in those games.