PLYMOUTH, Wis. – A roller coaster of a day ended up an ultimately frustrating one for the Lakeland University softball team as it lost twice to Dominican University Wednesday in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play.

The Stars staged an improbable rally to win the first game 9-8, coming back from five runs down in their final at bat. The Muskies made a comeback of their own late in the second game but in the end came up short in a 10-7 loss that concluded just before sunset. Lakeland missed a chance to make up some ground on one of the top teams in the NACC so far this season and dropped to 13-15 overall and 6-10 in conference.

The Muskies will rue one that got away in the opener after Dominican (24-6 overall, 13-3 NACC) scored six runs in the seventh.

Lakeland appeared to be cruising to victory when it led 8-3 with two outs and nobody on in the top of the seventh, until the Stars put two runners on with a single and then loaded the bases on a hit batter. Theresa Wilsterman then hit a grand slam home run to left field to suddenly draw Dominican within 8-7, and Kailey Kirkwood followed with a triple, chasing starting pitcher Skylar Hall (Jr.-Negaunee, Mich.) from the game.

Geneva Pollman was then hit by a pitch by relief pitcher Hannah Nelson (Jr.-Loves Park, Ill.), but the Muskies still appeared to have escaped when Paytin Salfi lifted a routine fly ball to right field. Lakeland right fielder Madi Johnson (Jr.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) was looking directly into a nasty sun, though, and despite her best attempts the ball went off her glove and hit her in the face, allowing Kirkwood to score the tying run and Pollman the go-ahead run. Johnson would be checked for several minutes before staying in the game, but the Stars would finish off the win after the Muskies put two on with one out in the seventh but couldn't bring in the tying run.

Lakeland had built a 3-0 lead in the first inning that included a two-run double by Carlie Morrow (Fr.-Menasha, Wis.) and a run-scoring single by Haylee Dodd (Kenosha, Wis.). Hall, meanwhile, cruised through the first three innings, not allowing a baserunner until a two-out walk in the fourth. A walk and a fielding error would follow to load the bases, though, and Pollman then lined a triple into the left field corner to plate three runs and tie the game.

The Muskies retook the lead in the fifth as Jordan August (So.-Schererville, Ind.) scored on an error, and Sydney Meyer (Fr.-Crown Point, Ind.) followed with an RBI single to score Dodd to make it 5-3. Lakeland then added three runs in the sixth to seemingly have the game in firm control, as August drove in a run on a fielder's choice and Johnson singled to drive in August, with Morrow also scoring on an error on the play.

The dark cloud hovering over the Muskies at the end of the first game seemed to linger into the start of the second, when Dominican scored four times in the top of the first. All four runs were unearned, coming after a dropped fly ball with two outs, and it would become a theme of the game as all 10 Stars runs were unearned.

Dominican would build a 10-1 lead in the fourth inning after scoring six runs with the help of four Lakeland errors. The Stars appeared in shape to end the game on account of the eight-run rule after five innings, but the Muskies got a run in the fourth on a Meyer RBI single and then kept the game alive in the fifth with August's two-out single scoring Nelson. Morrow then followed with a double to drive in August and cut the guests' lead to 10-4.

Lakeland would continue fighting and scored two more in the sixth with Dodd scoring on a wild pitch and Hannah Volom (So.-Portage, Ind.) hitting a single to score another run. The Muskies would add yet another run in the seventh with Morrow delivering again with an RBI single, and Lakeland would eventually bring the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Meyer was called out on a check swing strike three to end the game.

Morrow went 3-for-4 in the second game and finished the day with four RBIs. Meyer and Volom added two hits each in the nightcap. Nelson took the loss in the start before freshman Natalie Miller (North Fond du Lac, Wis.) came on and pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks.

The Muskies are on the road for their next games Saturday against NACC-leading Concordia University Wisconsin, with the doubleheader starting at noon in Mequon.