CLERMONT, Fla. – Makenna Hullinger (Fr.-St. John, Ind.) hurled a four-hit shutout and the Lakeland University softball team made good use of its scheduled day off on spring break to get another win, defeating Otterbein (Ohio) University 2-0 Wednesday morning.

The Muskies and Cardinals made up their game originally postponed on Sunday due to an umpire shortage at the Clermont Spring Games, and Hullinger outdueled Otterbein's Bryn Grabowski in a pitchers' duel. Lakeland improved to 5-1 overall and is off to its best start in nearly 30 years, since the 1993 Muskies opened their season with seven consecutive victories.

Hullinger picked up her second win on spring break, allowing four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. She retired the first twelve Otterbein hitters she faced and did not allow a hit until Jess Gunter led off the sixth inning with a single.

Hullinger received all the run support she would need against Otterbein (3-3 overall) in a jiffy in the third inning. Madi Johnson (So.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) walked to lead off and stole second base, and Hannah Nelson (So.-Loves Park, Ill.) followed with a single to center to score Johnson for a 1-0 lead.

Lakeland also was struggling to get runners aboard against Grabowski with just two hits through four innings, but the Muskies came through to add a second run in the fifth. Hannah Volom (Fr.-Portage, Ind.) singled to lead off the inning and later moved to second with two outs after a sacrifice bunt by Nelson. Cheyenne Mathas (Sr.-St. John, Ind.) then delivered a double to left center to score Volom from second for a 2-0 lead.

Otterbein threatened with leadoff singles in both the sixth and seventh innings, but catcher Jordan August (Fr.-Schererville, Ind.) nipped the first by throwing out pinch runner Savannah McCoppin trying to steal second, a play that especially proved big when Otterbein's Isa Lewis followed with a single.

Hullinger stranded Lewis at first in the sixth, and then worked out of two more Cardinals hits in the seventh inning. Megan Payne and Taylor Baran both singled to put runners at first and second with two out, but Hullinger got Sami Ange to ground out to second to end the game and preserve her first collegiate shutout.

The teams combined for just eight hits, four by each team, and both squads stranded five runners each. Grabowski took the loss, throwing a complete game and allowing four hits and two runs in six innings with two strikeouts and four walks.

The Muskies return to the field Thursday for two more games, first taking on Emerson (Mass.) College at 2:15 p.m. Central time, 3:15 p.m. in Florida. Lakeland then will play again, facing Monmouth (Ill.) College at 4:30 p.m. Central, 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.