MEQUON, Wis. – The Lakeland University softball team ran into a tough opponent with a pair of losses to nationally ranked Concordia University Wisconsin Friday afternoon at Catalyst Park.

The Muskies were defeated by scores of 12-0 and 6-0, including the first game ending in five innings. Lakeland fell to 13-17 overall and 6-12 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, dropping its fifth straight game and falling for the eighth time in its last nine games.

The Falcons (28-3 overall, 17-0 NACC) came in ranked 15th in the NFCA NCAA Division III top 25 coaches poll and looked the part with two dominating performances. Concordia pitchers combined to allow just four hits over the two games, and the hosts took control of the first game with 11 runs over the third and fourth innings.

CUW's Jasmine Freeze recorded two big blows with home runs in both innings. Freeze hit a three-run homer as part of a six-run third inning, and then hit a grand slam providing the bulk of the runs in a five-run fourth.

Sydney Meyer (Fr.-Crown Point, Ind.) recorded the lone hit in the first game, getting the Muskies in the hit column with one out in the fifth, right after Haylee Dodd (Fr.-Kenosha, Wis.) walked for Lakeland's first baserunner. Skylar Hall (Jr.-Negaunee, Mich.) took the loss, allowing seven runs in 2 1/3 innings, and in all six of the 12 runs against Hall and reliever Hannah Nelson (Jr.-Loves Park, Ill.) were unearned with the Muskies committing four errors in the game.

Lakeland was more competitive in the second game, but Concordia still scored all six of its runs over the first three innings. Sydney Erdmann had three of CUW's six hits and drove in three runs.

Nelson, Carlie Morrow (Fr.-Menasha, Wis.) and Madi Johnson (Jr.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) all had hits for the Muskies. Johnson took the loss in the start, allowing four runs (one earned) in 1 2/3 innings. Hall later came on in relief and pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with five strikeouts.