PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Madi Johnson (Sr.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) pitched a complete game three-hit shutout in the second game and the Lakeland University softball team continued to stretch its winning streak with a doubleheader sweep of St. Norbert College Sunday afternoon at home.

The Muskies defeated the Green Knights by scores of 3-1 and 6-0, running their win streak to nine straight games. Lakeland improved to 18-4 overall this season and is 9-1 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, and its record through 22 games is the program's best in 30 years, since 1994.

The Muskies have been so hot that they along with St. Norbert even beat rains forecasted for Sunday. The doubleheader started 15 minutes early and ended just after 3:30 p.m., with rain fall starting 10 minutes after the completion of the two games.

Lakeland pitchers Johnson and Skylar Hall (Sr.-Negaunee, Mich.) combined to allow just one run over 14 innings, including a career-best performance from Johnson. The senior allowed just three hits and tied her career high with six strikeouts, hurling her second collegiate shutout and first since her freshman year against Mount Mary University.

The pitching was key as the Muskies cooled off some at the plate after two big offensive performances the day before in a sweep of Alverno College. Lakeland finished with seven hits in the first game and nine in the second, but took advantage of opportunities presented to still keep the pressure on the Green Knights (5-17 overall, 2-8 NACC).

The Muskies answered a run by St. Norbert in the top of the first in the first game with a run in the bottom of the first when Johnson singled with one out, stole second and later scored when Abby Heitman (So.-St. Francis, Wis.)
reached on an error.

Lakeland then took the lead in the third with two runs, with Johnson involved again. She reached on a bunt single and Hannah Nelson (Sr.-Loves Park, Ill.) rounded second and tried to go to third. A throw to third base got away from SNC pitcher Addison Race covering, and Nelson came all the way around to score to make it 2-1. Heitman then followed two batters later with a single to drive in Johnson to make it 3-1, and the lead held the rest of the way.

Skylar Hall pitched a complete game and scattered nine hits while allowing just one run and striking out six for her ninth win of the season. Hall turned away one St. Norbert threat after another, as the Green Knights stranded 12 runners in the first game.

The Muskies heated up as the second game went on, starting with a three-run third. Johnson got Lakeland on the board with another bunt single with pinch runner Haylee Dodd (So.-Kenosha, Wis.) scoring, and Maddie Raske (Fr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. Johnson then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0, and the Muskies would follow with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Sydney Meyer (So.-Crown Point, Ind.) singled up the middle to send home Juliana Hall (Sr.-Portage, Ind.) in the fourth, and Nelson's double in the fifth scored Carlie Morrow (So.-Menasha, Wis.) to give Lakeland a 5-0 lead. Peyton Harlow (So.-La Porte, Ind.) then singled in the sixth, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error down to second. She then scored when Kendyll Holub (Fr.-Sturtevant, Wis.) hit the ball back to pitcher Amber Johanek, who stared down Harlow halfway between third and home but was late throwing home when Harlow broke for the plate to score the Muskies' final run.

Johnson complemented her pitching performance with a four-hit day at the plate, including going 3-for-3 with two runs scored in the first game. Nelson and Juliana Hall also added three hits each.

Lakeland steps out of conference for its next games Tuesday when it hosts Ripon College for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.