MEQUON, Wis. – Hannah Nelson (Sr.-Loves Park, Ill.) and Skylar Hall (Sr.-Negaunee, Mich.) keyed a first game win and the Lakeland University softball team finished its regular season with a split of two games against Concordia University Wisconsin Saturday afternoon in the fog at CUW's Catalyst Park.

The Muskies led from start to finish in handling the Falcons 6-2 in the first game, before Concordia came back for a 5-1 win in the second game on the strength of a four-run sixth inning. Lakeland finishes the regular season with a 32-8 overall record and 19-5 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, and now waits to see where that conference mark will slot the Muskies in the final rundown and for seeding in the NACC Tournament.

Lakeland is now two games in the loss column behind league-leading Dominican University and is one game in the loss column behind Concordia Wisconsin, with those two still having to makeup a previously postponed doubleheader on Monday. The Muskies will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NACC tourney, as one Dominican win over CUW would ensure the Stars finish ahead of Lakeland. Two Concordia wins would give the Falcons the regular season title over Dominican and Lakeland, who would then tie for second, while two Dominican wins over CUW would make the Muskies the tournament's No. 2 seed, with Concordia the No. 3 seed.

Lakeland started the day with a bang when Nelson led off the game with a home run to center field for her second homer in two days. The hit started a second straight huge game for the senior, who followed up a 4-for-4 performance in the second game against MSOE on Friday by going 4-for-4 again in the first game against Concordia, a streak of eight straight hits in eight official at bats.

The Muskies then took firm control of the opener with a four-run third inning, sending nine to the plate and chasing CUW starter Adrianna Martinez from the game. Carlie Morrow (So.-Menasha, Wis.) and Nelson led off the inning with singles, and Juliana Hall (Sr.-Portage, Ind.) singled for a 3-0 lead. Peyton Harlow (So.-La Porte, Ind.) later singled to drive in another run, and Jordan August (Jr.-Schererville, Ind.) hit a two-out, two-run single to make it 5-0.

Lakeland added to the lead in the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Juliana Hall, which proved to be plenty of margin for Skylar Hall. The senior bounced back from a rough start the day before against MSOE to throw a complete game, scattering 10 hits and allowing just two runs in the bottom of the fourth on the way to her 13th win of the season.

The Muskies fell behind early in the second game after Gabbi Gaziano hit a solo home run in the second inning, but stayed close in a pitchers' duel between Madi Johnson (Sr.-Vernon Hills, Ill.) and Concordia's Jasmine Freeze. A sweep of the day even looked like a distinct possibility for a moment in the sixth inning, when Lakeland put runners at second and third with nobody out, and a groundout by Maddie Raske (Fr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) drove in Johnson with the tying run, with Juliana Hall moving to third.

The inning fell apart, though, when a popped up bunt resulted in a double play, and CUW took the lead back with a pair of singles and a fielder's choice with Madi Wheat beating a throw home. The Falcons then broke the game open when Freeze hit a three-run homer to make it 5-1, and the Muskies went 1-2-3 in their final at bat.

Lakeland was held to six hits in the second game, with Freeze earning the win with eight strikeouts. Johnson went 2-for-3 at the plate and stole her 23rd base of the season, breaking the school single-season record of 22 steals set by Heather Haeflinger in 2012. Johnson also took the loss, allowing eight hits and five runs in six innings with two strikeouts.