PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Hannah Nelson (Sr.-Loves Park, Ill.) hit an inside-the-park grand slam to stretch her hitting streak to 19 games and the Lakeland University softball team extended its longest winning streak in 15 years with two wins over Rockford University Saturday afternoon at home in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play.

The Muskies topped the Regents by scores of 9-1 and 8-1, including the first game ending in five innings, and have won 13 straight games, Lakeland's longest winning streak since winning a school-record 23 straight in 2009. The Muskies also improved to 22-4 overall and 11-1 in conference, and now sit in first place in the NACC by percentage points after Dominican University split a doubleheader with Milwaukee School of Engineering to drop to 9-1 in league.

On a beautiful, sun-splashed day, Lakeland twice made quick work of the Regents (9-11 overall, 2-6 NACC), including taking the second game in seven innings in just 1 hour, 23 minutes. The Muskies did all the scoring they would need in that game in the first inning, scoring eight times in the bottom of the first.

Lakeland sent 12 hitters to the plate, and Juliana Hall (Sr.-Portage, Ind.), Maddie Raske (Fr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) and Sydney Meyer (So.-Crown Point, Ind.) all drove in runs with hits, including Meyer with a two-run single to make it 4-0 and chase starting pitcher Kariana Williams from the circle and moved to center field before completing the first.

Carlie Morrow (So.-Menasha, Wis.) then was hit by a pitch from new pitcher Alexis Schuldt, bringing up Nelson for the second time in the inning. Nelson opened the game by lining out to left field, but this time hit a blast to straightway center that initially froze Williams. The Rockford center fielder then made a late break back and reached up but couldn't make a leaping catch, and as the ball got away Nelson sped around the bases, then came home and got in ahead of a tag at the plate for her seventh career home run and first Muskies grand slam.

Madi Johnson (Sr.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) would take care of things from there with another excellent pitching performance. Johnson pitched a five-hit complete game, striking out three to improve to 8-1 this season. The Regents scored their lone run in the top of the fifth inning to keep the game from ending on the eight-run rule, but would score no more.

Lakeland also wasted little time building a big lead in the first game, scoring three times in the first inning and then four more in the third to take a 7-0 lead.

Nelson led off the game with a ground-rule double and Johnson followed by reaching on with a bunt single. Abby Heitman (So.-St. Francis, Wis.) then followed two batters later with a drive off the glove of left fielder Schuldt to score both and wound up at third base with her sixth triple of the season. Raske then singled to score Heitman to give the Muskies a quick 3-0 lead.

Lakeland then took advantage of three Rockford errors in the third inning to score four unearned runs. Hall and Heitman both reached on errors, and on the latter pinch runner Callie Linders (Fr.-Griffith, Ind.) came all the way around to score after another throwing error. Raske then doubled down the left field line to score Heitman, and Morrow later followed with a single through the left side to drive in two more runs.

Skylar Hall (Sr.-Negaunee, Mich.) was dominant in a complete game win, allowing just three hits and registering a season-high nine strikeouts in five innings. The Regents scored a run in the fourth to get on the board, but Nelson hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the fifth to close the game out on the eight-run rule after five innings.

Raske went 3-for-3 in the first game and had a four-hit day overall, while Johnson added three hits in the second game and four for the day as well. Nelson added three hits on the day and has hit safely in 19 straight games. Juliana Hall went 2-for-4 in the second game but was hitless in three at bats in the first game, ending her 13-game hitting streak.

The Muskies are back on the field tomorrow on the road to face Edgewood College for a doubleheader starting at noon in Verona, Wis.