WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A rally from a six-run deficit came up just short for the Lakeland University softball team as it was defeated by Ohio Wesleyan University 6-4 at the Diamond Plex as part of The Spring Games.
The Muskies came up empty on their fourth day of play in Florida after also being defeated by Ithaca (N.Y.) College 4-1 in their first game of the day. Lakeland is now 3-5 on its spring break with its final two games of the trip scheduled for Saturday.
The Muskies struggled to come up with timely hits most of the day until getting some rallies going late against Ohio Wesleyan (4-3 overall). Lakeland scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to get on the board, with
McKenzie Staudinger (
So.-Manitowoc, Wis.) and
Callie Linders (
So.-Griffith, Ind.) leading off with singles and
Brianna Gaedtke (
Sr.-Luxemburg, Wis.) and
Sam Marchant (
Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) both driving in runs with singles.
The Muskies also manufactured a pair of runs in the seventh.
Peyton Harlow (
Jr.-La Porte, Ind.) walked with one out,
Carlie Morrow (
Jr.-Menasha, Wis.) and Staudinger grounded out to the right side to score Harlow. Linders then singled to drive in Morrow and bring the tying run to the plate, but a fly out ended the game.
Lakeland fell behind early as the Battling Bishops scored a run in the first, three in the second and two more in the fifth. Four of Ohio Wesleyan's six runs were unearned as the Muskies committed three errors in the field.
Linders and Morrow led the Muskies with two hits each.
Natalie Ziebell (
Fr.-New Holstein, Wis.) took the loss, allowing four hits and four runs (two earned) in 1 1/3 innings.
Melanie Watters (
Sr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) came on and pitched the final 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and two unearned runs.
Opportunities were few in the first game for Lakeland, which mustered just five hits against Ithaca (8-1 overall) pitchers Mady Rowell and Taylor Brunn. The Muskies' best chance for most of the game came in the opening inning, when
Sydney Meyer (
Jr.-Crown Point, Ind.) walked and
Abby Heitman (
Jr.-St. Francis, Wis.) singled, both with one out. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up, but a groundout ended the inning.
The Bombers scored single runs in four different innings, while Lakeland finally got on the board in the seventh. Linders singled with two outs and
Lexi Howard (
Fr.-Crown Point, Ind.) doubled to drive her in, but Howard got caught in a rundown on the play resulting in the end of the game.
Lily Pettit (
Fr.-Rewey, Wis.) started and pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and four runs.
Maddie Klauer (
So.-Fort Atkinson, Wis.) pitched the final two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit.
Lakeland completes play in Florida on Saturday against two more Midwestern schools in Florida for their spring breaks. The Muskies face the University of Wisconsin-River Falls at 10:30 a.m. Central, 11:30 a.m. Eastern, and then take on Augsburg (Minn.) University immediately following. Both games are at Legends Way Field in Clermont.
