MEQUON – Jacob Plucinski (Fr.-Chicago, Ill.) hit a grand slam and Christian Foss (Sr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) earned his first collegiate win as the Lakeland University baseball team defeated Concordia University Wisconsin 8-4 in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Kapco Park.

The Muskies picked up their first conference win of the season and gained a split of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference twinbill. Lakeland was defeated by the Falcons 12-3 in the first game of the day.

After Lakeland (5-13 overall, 1-7 NACC) saw Concordia break away in the final innings in an opening game that was tied at the midway point, Plucinski turned around the Muskies' fortunes with one swing in the second.

The Falcons (14-11 overall, 4-5 NACC) led 2-0 after scoring twice in the bottom of the first, but Matt Benninghoff (Jr.-Highland, Ind.) singled, Ben Schecter (Fr.-Woodland Hills, Calif.) walked and Connor Hilburn (Jr.-Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded and two out, Plucinski hit a two-out blast over the wall in left to put Lakeland ahead.

The Muskies never trailed again, only allowing the Falcons to get within a run before they added two insurance runs each in the sixth and seventh innings. Schecter singled in a run and later came around to score on a wild pitch in the sixth, and Lakeland scored twice with the bases loaded in the seventh as Drew Richard (Sr.-Kieler, Wis.) walked and Hilburn was hit by a pitch.

Foss made just his fourth collegiate start but provided what the Muskies needed with a solid pitching performance, going a career-high five innings, allowing six hits and three runs and departing with the lead against the Falcons, who were coming off a doubleheader sweep the day before against nationally ranked Concordia Chicago. Tayler Johann (So.-Colleyville, Texas) and Noah Suissa (Fr.-Belmont, Calif.) both added two innings each, with CUW's two-out run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth the only blemish on the bullpen.

Hilburn, Plucinski and Travis Regalado (Jr.-Willcox, Ariz.) all had two hits each and all nine players in the starting lineup had at least one hit as Lakeland outhit the hosts 12-7.

The Muskies were in good shape after 4 1/2 innings of the first game after scoring three times in the top of the fifth to tie it. Justin Wahl Adame (Fr.-Riverside, Calif.) singled to lead off the inning and Benninghoff followed immediately after with a two-run homer for his first collegiate round-tripper. Hilburn later reached on a fielder's choice to score Peyton Knoll (Jr.-Linden, Mich.), tying the game at 3-3.

Concordia answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, though, and then opened it up with six more in the sixth to take an 11-3 lead. Hilburn and Wahl Adame both had two hits each in the opener. Collin Schutz (Fr.-Saint Amant, La.) took the loss, allowing 12 hits and eight runs in five innings as the Falcons hammered out 17 hits in the game.

Lakeland is back in action Tuesday when it travels to face Concordia Chicago at noon in River Forest, Ill.