SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Bryce Skelton (Sr.-Delavan, Wis.) went 6-for-6 at the plate and the Lakeland College baseball team scored two runs in the ninth inning to defeat Dominican (Ill.) University 12-10 in the first game of a doubleheader Friday at Boomers Stadium.

The Muskies hammered out 19 hits in the first game before the Stars came back for a 6-4 win in the second game to gain the twinbill split. Lakeland is now 10-21 overall on the season and 6-10 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference with four conference games remaining to play.

Skelton was unstoppable in the opener with base hits in all six of his plate appearances, including a pair of doubles, three runs batted in and two runs scored. He also had a role in the Muskies' ninth-inning heroics as the team rallied to win a game in which it faced deficits of 7-4 and 10-8.

Connor Hilburn (Fr.-Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and Skelton had back-to-back singles with one out, and then Travis Regalado (Fr.-Willcox, Ariz.) singled through the right side to score Sam Martin (Jr.-Pembroke Pines, Fla.), who was pinch running for Hilburn. Cameron Sharp (Fr.-Pflugerville, Texas) later came up with two out and singled up the middle to score Skelton to make it 12-10.

Travis Stever (Jr.-Brillion, Wis.) finished off a clutch relief pitching outing, retiring all three batters in the bottom of the ninth to get the win. Stever pitched three hitless innings in relief, allowing only two walks while striking out one.

Skelton was not the lone hitter with a big game in the opener. Regalado also tallied four hits and drove in two, Hilburn had two hits and two runs scored and Jared Rear (Sr.-Belleville, Wis.) also finished with two hits, three RBIs and three runs scored in a wild game in which the Muskies took a 4-0 lead, only to see Dominican (15-19 overall, 8-8 NACC) score seven time in the bottom of the fifth and then answer again with three more runs after Lakeland scored four times in the sixth to retake a brief 8-7 lead.

The Muskies also had 10 hits in the second game but were not as efficient getting runners across against Quinlan Milne Rojek, who pitched a complete game and allowed just four runs (two earned) with three strikeouts.

Dominican scored two runs in the first and then broke open a tie game in the fifth inning with four runs on five hits. Lakeland came back with two runs in the seventh on RBI singles up the middle by Rear and Hilburn, but would miss opportunities in the eighth and ninth innings. The Muskies put runners at second and third but lined into a double play to end the inning, and also had runners and second and third with one out in the ninth but were unable to score.

Jody Harrison (Fr.-Pontiac, Mich.) had three hits and drove in two, while Luke Bacci (Sr.-Grayslake, Ill.) added two hits and two runs. Regalado took the loss on the mound, throwing seven innings and allowing five earned runs.

Lakeland will host Rockford (Ill.) University tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at noon. It also is Senior Day, and the Muskies will honor their seven seniors in a ceremony between games.