Rosa Gonzalez (
Fr.-Elwood, Ill.) had four hits, including her first collegiate triple, and the Lakeland College softball team ran its winning streak to eight games by sweeping Finlandia (Mich.) University in a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon.
The Muskies held off the Lions 4-2 in the first game before dominating in the second contest for an 11-0 win in five innings. Lakeland is now 14-18 overall this season, while travel-weary Finlandia dropped to 8-32 this year.
Gonzalez had a two-run single in the first game, scoring
Sami Jo Williams (
So.-Sussex, Wis.) and
Carly Brault (
Fr.-Brillion, Wis.) to put the Muskies ahead 2-0 in the third inning. Lakeland would never trail, twice answering single runs by the Lions with RBI singles by
Calie Delisi (
Fr.-Oak Forest, Ill.) and
Mikayla Hilton (
So.-Port Washington, Wis.) in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively.
Samantha Stenlund (
Fr.-Rapid River, Mich.) picked up the win with a complete game, allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) with seven strikeouts. She worked out of trouble in the seventh inning, as Finlandia put runners on first and second with one out but flew out twice to end the game.
Gonzalez joined Williams,
Ashley Hough (
Sr.-Rapid River, Mich.) and
Bella Wilkinson (
Fr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) as players with two hits in the second game, which the Muskies owned from the start. Lakeland scored two runs in the first, four in the second and tallied at least one run in all four of its at bats.
Hilton hit a two-run double to begin the scoring in the first, and the Muskies' 1-through-6 hitters including Williams, Hough, Gonzalez, Hilton, Wilkinson and
Angela Tribuzio (
Fr.-Huntley, Ill.) combined for nine hits, nine runs and seven runs driven in.
Elizabeth Zimmerman (
Sr.-Shawano, Wis.) started the second game and pitched four scoreless innings with a career-high eight strikeouts.
Brooke Paige (
Fr.-Harbor Springs, Mich.) pitched a hitless fifth inning to close out the game and struck out one.
Christina Krider had three hits in the doubleheader to lead Finlandia, which is located in Hancock, Mich., in the Upper Peninsula and has played 34 consecutive games away from home since hosting its dome tournament in late February.
Lakeland is home again on Saturday to face Rockford University for a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader beginning at noon.
