Rosa Gonzalez (Sr.-Elwood, Ill.) singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning, sending Lakeland University's softball seniors off on a happy note with a drama-filled 8-7 comeback victory over Aurora University Sunday afternoon.

The Muskies wrote a happy ending on Senior Day, bouncing back from a 2-1 loss in the first game for a memorable win that included a pair of rallies in extra innings as well as superb pitching performances by both teams. Lakeland also finally got a long-awaited win in a one-run game in closing out its season, while also spoiling Aurora's hopes for a share of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference regular season championship.

The Spartans (25-15 overall, 16-6 NACC) came into the day needing to win both games to tie Benedictine University for the NACC title, and they looked ready to do just that after taking a 7-5 lead in the top of the 13th. Aurora freshman Bryanna Perez hit a two-run homer over the fence in left for her first collegiate round-tripper, putting a damper on an incredible relief pitching performance by Taylor Bush (Jr.-Waukesha, Wis.).

Bush came on in relief in the second inning and allowed just one run over more than 11 innings before the homer. She finished the game throwing 11 1/3 innings and allowing nine hits and three runs (two earned) with eight strikeouts, before departing for Leah Binsfeld (Fr.-Kaukauna, Wis.) with one out in the 13th.

The Muskies wasted no time mounting a rally in the bottom of the 13th, with three of the team's seniors leading the way. Calie Delisi (Sr.-Oak Forest, Ill.) led off with a seeing-eye single just out of the infield for a hit, and Madi Olson (So.-Eau Claire, Wis.) followed by beating out a single to the hole at shortstop.

Both moved up after a sacrifice bunt by Amber Andersen (Fr.-Chicago, Ill.), and the Muskies tied it when Carly Brault (Sr.-Brillion, Wis.) slapped a single to left field that got by the left fielder and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing both Delisi and Olson to score and Brault to get to third. Gonzalez followed with a single up the middle, out of the reach of the shortstop, and Brault scored the winning run to give Lakeland its first win in a one-run game in nine one-run games this season.

The Muskies also needed a rally in the ninth inning to extend the game after Aurora's Nina Tholl hit an RBI single with two outs to put the Spartans ahead 5-4, scoring the game's first run since the second inning. Lakeland came back with Delisi singling and later scoring on Andersen's ground out, eventually putting the potential winning run at third before the Spartans got out of the inning.

The game started with fireworks as the Muskies scored in the first, only to see Aurora score four times in the second before Lakeland answered with three runs of its own. Following the Spartans' four-run top of the second, Delisi hit a two-run double and Caitlin Fitzgerald (So.-Chicago, Ill.) hammered an RBI double off the wall in left to tie the game at 4-4.

Delisi finished 4-for-7 with three runs scored, while Hailey Jester (Sr.-Salem, Wis.) went 3-for-7 with two runs scored and Andersen also went 3-for-5. Lakeland finished with 19 hits, outhitting the Spartans 19-12 but stranding 16 base runners.

The loss spoiled a valiant effort by Aurora pitcher Steph Renner, who also pitched 10 1/3 innings in game two. Renner allowed 13 hits and four runs (one earned) in taking the loss, and her performance came after pitching a complete game in the opener, when she outdueled Lakeland's Lindsay Cudecki (So.-Chicago, Ill.).

Renner allowed just six hits and one run with five strikeouts in the opener, a game that was scoreless for five innings before the Spartans finally broke through for two runs in the sixth as Abbey Rosenow singled to score a run and Lara Salazar added an RBI single.

Lakeland also staged a late comeback in the seventh inning in the first game, loading the bases with nobody out and getting a run in on Jester's fielder's choice to score Sabrina Wickman (Fr.-Quinnesec, Mich.). Renner retired the final two batters, though, stranding the tying run at third base.

Cudecki matched Renner almost zero-for-zero on the scoreboard, finishing with a complete game and allowing eight hits and two runs while inducing 18 outs via ground ball. Meghan Etten (Jr.-Elkhorn, Wis.) and Niki Saviano (So.-Orland Park, Ill.) combined for four of the Muskies' six hits with two hits apiece.

The games were the final ones for five Lakeland seniors in all, including Brault, Delisi, Gonzalez, Jester plus manager Rachel Conery. The Muskies' final ledger included 17 of their 36 games decided by two runs or less, with Lakeland posting a 4-13 record in those games but regularly showing as it did on Sunday that it could compete with the best in the NACC.