PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Sean Gregorius (Fr.-Germantown, Wis.) homered and doubled twice and the Lakeland University baseball team won its home opener with an 8-4 victory over Dominican University in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon.

The Muskies surpassed their overall and Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win totals for all of last season with the win in the first game. The Stars came back for a 15-2 win in the second game in a frigid but dry season debut on campus for Lakeland.

Gregorius went 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits and three RBIs in the first game, including a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning to put the Muskies (9-12 overall, 3-5 NACC) ahead. Lakeland would never trail again, and Gregorius would added an RBI double down the left field line in the fifth for a 4-1 lead as well as another big hit in the seventh inning.

Dominican (11-10 overall, 4-4 NACC) closed within 5-4 in the top of the seventh after a leadoff home run by Matthew Earley, but Tucker Gegenfurtner (So.-Onalaska, Wis.) led off with a single and Gregorius followed with another RBI double to give the Muskies a 6-4 lead. Lakeland would add two more runs in the inning, taking advantage of some wildness from Stars pitchers as Logan South (Fr.-Oswego, Ill.) walked with the bases loaded and OakLee Spens (Sr.-South Weber, Utah) was hit by a pitch immediately after to bring in another run.

Three Muskies pitchers combined to keep Dominican at bay, with starter Bryce Backus (Fr.-Kenosha, Wis.), Eli Watkins (So.-Herrin, Ill.) and Rily Roberts (Fr.-Chattanooga, Tenn.) combining to allow 11 hits but just four runs. Watkins earned the win with three innings in relief of Backus, who went four innings and allowed three hits while striking out five. Roberts closed it out with two scoreless innings, allowing four hits but getting defensive help including a double play to end the game when C.J. Kalekas grounded out to Gegenfurtner at first base, who then threw home to South who put the tag on Gavin Zappe to close it out.

The win gave Lakeland more wins in its first 20 games this season than it  picked up all of last year, when the Muskies finished 8-32 and posted a 2-22 NACC record.

The Muskies saw the second game get away as the Stars scored five runs in the fourth game to break the game open and then blew the game wide open late with eight runs in the final three innings.

Dominican posted just one hit through the first three innings, a two-run homer by Tyler Johnson in the third to open the scoring and part of a sudden power surge by the Stars, who homered six times over the two games after coming in with four home runs through their first 19 games.

Lakeland halved the deficit with a run in the third when Caleb Sumsion (Jr.-Dayton, Nev.) led off with a walk, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a single up the middle by South. It was still a 2-1 game with two outs in the top of the fourth when the Stars got a double and a walk to load the bases and Zach Helein hit a bases-clearing double to make it 5-1 and chase starting pitcher Mason Holz (Fr.-Waupun, Wis.) from the game. Relief pitcher Thor Dunham (Jr.-Palisade, Minn.) came on and was greeted by Earley, who launched a two-run home run to left field to make it 7-1.

The Muskies were unable to solve Dominican starter Kalekas, who went six innings and allowed four hits and three walks but just one run. Kalekas did not strike out a batter but recorded nine outs by ground ball and eight by flyout.

Lakeland announced Tuesday night that its scheduled non-conference game on Wednesday against Beloit College has been postponed due to forecasted rain and wintry mix conditions on Wednesday. The teams are working to reschedule the game but no date has been set at this time. The Muskies next will travel to take on Illinois Institute of Technology Saturday for a doubleheader starting at noon in Chicago.