LVERONA, Wis. – Nathan Hemmerling (So.-Riverside, Calif.) threw a complete game one-hit shutout and the Lakeland University baseball team clinched a series win over Edgewood College with a 5-0 win in the first game of a doubleheader Monday at Stampfl Field.

The Muskies finished with a split of the twinbill after the Eagles rallied late for a 9-4 win in the second game. Lakeland still finished winning three of four from Edgewood in both teams' opening series in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference North Division play.

Hemmerling returned to form after a couple bumpy starts early in the season with an overpowering performance. The first team all-NACC pitcher as a freshman struck out ten and allowed only a second inning single by Adam Cairo and two walks, facing two over the minimum in the game while throwing his first collegiate shutout.

Hemmerling only allowed one baserunner to get as far as second base, and that runner was doubled off of second in the third inning after an inning-ending line out double play. He also got stronger as the game went on, retiring the last 13 hitters he faced.

Lakeland (7-7 overall) provided all the support he'd need in the fifth inning, taking advantage of a leadoff walk, a dropped fly ball and some timely infield hits to score four times. Kellen Hodges (Fr.-Littleton, Colo.) and Collin Schutz (Jr.-Saint Amant, La.) both drove in runs with infield singles and three of the four runs were unearned after Lino Figueroa (Jr.-Westchester, Ill.) hit a fly to left with two outs that was dropped, allowing Hunter Frisk (So.-Manteca, Calif.) to score and Schutz to follow with a single to shortstop to score Hodges and Figueroa.

Frisk added an RBI single in the sixth as part of a three-hit game. Hodges also added two hits as the Muskies outhit the Eagles 8-1 and stranded 11 base runners.

Lakeland appeared in good shape to secure a doubleheader and series sweep deep into the second game, taking a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. Schutz allowed just three hits and a run in six innings on the mound, and the Muskies scored single runs in four frames including an RBI double by OakLee Spens (Fr.-Burbank, Calif.), a solo home run by Dylan Penny (Jr.-River Falls, Wis.) and Frisk driving in separate runs on a single and a squeeze bunt.

Edgewood came alive in the bottom of the seventh, though, scoring three times to tie it, and then took the lead in a tough eighth inning for Lakeland. The Eagles took advantage of three Muskie errors and two hit batters to plate five runs while hitting the ball out of the infield just once in the inning.

Schutz finished allowing five hits and two runs in 6 1/3 with five strikeouts. Tyler Penny (Fr.-River Falls, Wis.) took the loss, allowing four hits and five runs (three earned) in an inning with two strikeouts. Spens and Dylan Penny both finished with two hits each, but Lakeland finished with seven errors as a team in the loss.

The Muskies are now off until Saturday, when they begin a four-game weekend series with Milwaukee School of Engineering starting with a doubleheader Saturday at home at noon.