CLERMONT, Fla. –
Skylar Hall (
Sr.-Negaunee, Mich.) delivered a second straight dominant pitching performance and the Lakeland University softball team remained undefeated on its spring break trip so far with two more wins Tuesday at the Clermont Spring Games.
The Muskies defeated Monmouth (Ill.) College 7-3 early in the morning and then topped Rutgers University-Camden (N.J.) 4-0 after Hall threw a three-hit shutout. Lakeland improved to 4-2 overall this season and is 4-0 after two days of competition in Florida.
A day after taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning in an eventual 4-1 win over Juniata (Pa.) College, Hall allowed just three hits in a complete game win for the second straight day. She struck out five and walked two and never allowed a runner past first base in posting her fourth career collegiate shutout.
The Muskies provided her all the run support she would need in the first inning by scoring three times.
Maddie Raske (
Fr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) drove in
Madi Johnson (
Sr.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) with a groundout to open the scoring,
Abby Heitman (
So.-St. Francis, Wis.) singled to drive in
Juliana Hall (
Sr.-Portage, Ind.), and Heitman would also score after stealing second and then taking third and home on consecutive Rutgers-Camden errors.
Lakeland added another run in the fifth without a hit, as Heitman reached on a walk, stole second again and moved to third again on an error.
Peyton Harlow (
So.-La Porte, Ind.) would then send her home with a sacrifice fly against Scarlet Raptors pitcher Sammie Friel, who also pitched a complete game and allowed six hits and four runs (three earned), including just two hits after the first inning.
The Muskies also won their first game of the day on the strength of a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to overcome a late deficit.
Monmouth had come back from an early 2-0 deficit and took its first lead of the game in the top of the sixth on a two-out RBI single by Abigail Winstead, but Lakeland answered with a big inning that included three runs scoring on errors. Raske led off with a double and later scored the tying run on an error, and pinch runner
Haylee Dodd (
So.-Kenosha, Wis.) scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
Sydney Meyer (
So.-Crown Point, Ind.) then hit a sacrifice fly,
Carlie Morrow (
So.-Menasha, Wis.) scored on a throwing error and Johnson reached on an infield single to score
Hannah Nelson (
Sr.-Loves Park, Ill.).
Nelson also earned the win in the circle, throwing 2 2/3 innings in relief and allowing three hits and a run with one strikeout after starter
Natalie Miller (
So.-North Fond du Lac, Wis.) went 4 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and two runs with two strikeouts.
Raske went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the opener and Morrow reached three times with a hit and two walks.
Juliana Hall also was aboard twice with a hit and a walk.
Lakeland gets the day off Wednesday before returning to play Thursday with two more games against Northeast competition. The Muskies take on the University of New England (Maine) at 3:15 p.m. Central time, 4:15 p.m. in Floriday, and then will face the University of Rochester (N.Y.) shortly after. Both games are at Fortune Road Field No. 4 in Kissimmee, Fla.
