FOND DU LAC – The Lakeland University baseball team scored seven runs in the eighth inning and six more in the ninth to wipe out a nine-run deficit and defeat Marian University 16-12 in the second game of a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday.

The Muskies' late rally from a 12-3 deficit forced of split of the twinbill and capped a wild day that included a lot of offense. Marian edged Lakeland 11-10 in the first game in 11 innings, with the host Sabres coming back from deficits twice to win.

The Muskies (8-10 overall, 2-2 NACC) sent 11 hitters to the plate in the eighth and 10 more up in the ninth in the second game, with numerous players providing big hits or reaching on walks. Sam Martin (Sr.-Milton, Wis.) hit a big two-run double and Brandon Punzel (Fr.-Escanaba, Mich.) and Matt Benninghoff (So.-Highland, Ind.) both added run-scoring singles in the eighth. Benninghoff then added an RBI double in the ninth to make it 12-11, Cameron Sharp (So.-Pflugerville, Texas) walked with the bases loaded to tie it, and Jack Banks (Fr.-Mountain View, Calif.) and Christian Arthurs (Fr.-North Fond du Lac, Wis.) followed with back-to-back two-RBI hits.

Lakeland finished with 17 hits in the second game, following up a 12-hit effort in the opener that included a pair of four-run innings with Travis Regalado (So.-Willcox, Ariz.) square in the middle of both. Regalado hit a two-run double in the first inning to get the Muskies on the board, and he later hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to put Lakeland back ahead 9-6.

Marian (7-13 overall, 2-4 NACC) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to get back within 9-8, but Banks singled to score Jody Harrison (So.-Pontiac, Mich.) to push the Muskies' lead back to two. The Sabres scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to tie it back up, though, and then scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th as Trey Johnson scored on an error.

Connor Hilburn (So.-Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) finished with six hits on the day including three in each game. Punzel was 4-for-4 in the second game with three runs scored, and Banks also added three hits in game two.

Tayler Johann (Fr.-Colleyville, Texas) pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief to pick up the win in the second game, allowing three hits and two runs (one earned).

The Muskies are back on the field Sunday when they host Milwaukee School of Engineering for a doubleheader beginning at noon. Live video and live statistics will be available at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/lc/.