MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Lakeland University softball team hammered out 32 hits over two games and swept a doubleheader from Alverno College for the second straight day, this time on the road at Alverno Field Wednesday afternoon.
The Muskies defeated the Inferno by scores of 12-4 and 10-3 to wrap up a four-game sweep of the teams' home-and-home series. Lakeland improved to 6-13-1 overall and is now 5-3 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference North Division play.
The Muskies posted 16 hits in both games Wednesday and scored in nine of the 12 innings played. Included was an eight-run third inning in the opener that blew open the game and set up a victory in five innings under the eight-run rule.
Hannah Nelson (
Fr.-Loves Park, Ill.) went 4-for-4 with three stolen bases and a career-high five runs batted in and also earned the win in the circle, throwing all five innings and allowing eight hits and four runs with three strikeouts.
Sydney Wickman (
Sr.-Quinnesec, Mich.) also went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three stolen bases as Lakeland stole 10 bases in the first game.
Maddie Bentley (
Fr.-West Bend, Wis.) also added a pair of doubles and two runs driven in,
Hannah Hornsby (
Jr.-Brookville, Ind.) went 2-for-3 and
Juliana Hall (
So.-Portage, Ind.) added a double and two RBIs.
The Muskies pulled away in the late innings in the second game, with Bentley's RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning breaking a 3-3 tie. A four-run sixth and two more in the seventh gave Lakeland some breathing room late.
Sabrina Wickman (
Sr.-Quinnesec, Mich.) was 4-for-4 at the plate in the second game with three runs scored and Bentley, Hall,
Cheyenne Mathas (Jr.-St. John, Ind.) and starting pitcher
Leah Binsfeld (
Sr.-Kaukauna, Wis.) all added two hits each. Binsfeld pitched four innings and allowed five hits and three runs with two strikeouts for her second win of the season, while
Madi Johnson (
Fr.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) pitched the final three innings and allowed just one hit for her first collegiate save.
Alverno (1-14 overall, 0-7 NACC North) was led by Izzy Torres, who homered in both games and went 4-for-5 on the day with four RBIs and four runs scored. Torres finished the series with three home runs over two days against the Muskies.
Lakeland next will face nationally ranked Milwaukee School of Engineering for an NACC North series this weekend beginning with two games in Milwaukee on Saturday starting at noon.
