FRANKLIN, Wis. – Lakeland University hammered five home runs to dig out of a big hole and then held on to claim a wild 16-15 victory over Milwaukee School of Engineering Saturday afternoon as part of a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader.

The Muskies bounced back from an early 8-0 deficit in game two to earn a split of the two games on a day where runs were plentiful for both teams. Lakeland earned its fourth NACC win, though, and improved to 8-16 overall and 4-10 in conference.

The Muskies trailed by eight runs after just two innings in the second game, but were in the lead just two innings later after exploding for five runs in both the third and fourth frames. It started when Drew Richard (Sr.-Kieler, Wis.) hit a two-run home run to get on the board, and Travis Regalado (Jr.-Willcox, Ariz.) added a three-run homer in the third, one of his three homers on the day.

Lakeland then added five runs in the fourth, batting around and taking advantage of three walks and two hit batters. Richard, Connor Hilburn (Jr.-Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and Brandon Punzel (So.-Escanaba, Mich.) all posted RBI singles. The Muskies would tack on two more in the fifth as Hilburn hit a solo homer and Alberto Oliveras (Fr.-Fort Myers, Fla.) doubled in a run.

Regalado and Oliveras added back-to-back homers to lead off the seventh and push the lead to 15-9, but Lakeland still had some nervous moments late. MSOE (18-16 overall, 8-6 NACC) scored two in the seventh, one in the eighth and three in the ninth, and also left the bases loaded in the seventh and stranded runners at second and third to end the game.

Regalado drove in five runs and Oliveras and Richard also added four RBIs each. Hilburn, Oliveras, Richard and Lino Figueroa (Fr.-Westchester, Ill.) also all had four hits each, and Figueroa, Hilburn and Richard also all scored three runs each. On the mound, Collin Schutz (Fr.-Saint Amant, La.) slowed down the Raiders after a hot start to the game, allowing eight hits and three runs in four innings to earn the win.

The Muskies showed fight after a tough start to the second game and to the day as a whole, after MSOE rolled to a 19-6 win in seven innings in the first game. Lakeland scored twice in the first inning to take a brief 2-0 lead on a two-run single by Jacob Plucinski (Fr.-Chicago, Ill.), but the Raiders scored six in the second and then blew the game open with nine in the fifth.

The Muskies piled up 15 hits in the game but stranded 10 runners. Hilburn went 3-for-3 and scored two runs, Regalado added a two-run homer and Justin Wahl Adame (Fr.-Riverside, Calif.) also posted three hits.

Lakeland is back home Sunday when it welcomes Dominican University for a doubleheader beginning at noon.