PLYMOUTH, Wis. – A record performance by Makenna Hullinger (Fr.-St. John, Ind.) was answered by Marian University, which put up a huge eighth inning to complete a sweep of the Lakeland University softball team Saturday afternoon.

The Sabres followed up a 9-5 win in the first game with a 14-6 victory in game two, putting the Muskies on the wrong end of a sweep for the second time in three days. Lakeland dropped to 13-10 overall and is now 8-6 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, while Marian moved closer to the Muskies in the conference standings, improving to 11-14 overall and 6-8 in conference.

The Sabres finished the day with their second scoring outburst in game two coming in the eighth inning. With the teams tied at 6-6 going to extra frames, Marian scored eight times in the eighth, with eight consecutive hitters reaching base at one point. Melanie Weigel singled with the bases loaded and one out to give the Sabres the lead, and Katelyn Matenaer would double twice, the first time with one out to begin the rally, the second time to drive in two more runs and finish the guests' scoring.

The eight-run eighth plus a six-run fourth ruined a powerful outing by Hullinger, who struck out a career-high 13 hitters. The 13 strikeouts is believed to be a Lakeland record, and she is the second Muskie to post double-digit K's in a game this season, after teammate Skylar Hall (So.-Negaunee, Mich.) fanned 11 in a win over Alverno College earlier in the month.

Lakeland came back from a rough first contest to take a 4-0 lead in the second game after three innings, including a triple by Cheyenne Mathas (Sr.-St. John, Ind.) to score the first run in the first inning, a run-scoring ground out by Hannah Volom (Fr.-Portage, Ind.) and RBI single by Hannah Nelson (So.-Loves Park, Ill.) in the second and a sacrifice fly by Hannah Hornsby (Sr.-Brookville, Ind.) in the third.

Marian countered with the first of its two big innings, scoring six times in the top of the fourth. Pinch hitter Lauren Heisdorf delivered the defining blow with a two-out, bases-loaded, three-run double to tie the game at 4-4, and the Sabres added two more runs that the Muskies answered in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run double by Juliana Hall (Jr.-Portage, Ind.). It was the third double of the day for the Lakeland third baseman, who finished with five hits in the doubleheader and also drove in four runs.

The Muskies trailed from the start in the first game, falling behind 6-0 after 2 1/2 innings before briefly closing back to within a run with a five-run third. Hall doubled to score two, Mathas singled in a run and Hullinger added a single up the middle to drive in two more, and Lakeland trailed just 6-5. Marian came right back with another run in the fourth and two more in the fifth on a two-run homer by Julia Corona.

Juliana Hall, Nelson and Madi Johnson (So.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) all posted two hits each in the opener, with Nelson also finishing with a five-hit day after three more hits in game two. Skylar Hall took the loss, allowing five hits and four runs in two-plus innings before Nelson covered the final five innings.

Lakeland is back on the field Sunday when it travels to take on Rockford University for a doubleheader starting at 3:30 p.m.