RIPON, Wis. –
Peyton Harlow (
Jr.-La Porte, Ind.) hit two triples and a double and
Brianna Gaedtke (
Sr.-Luxemburg, Wis.) added three hits as the Lakeland University softball team drilled Ripon College 15-5 in five innings in the second game of the teams' non-conference doubleheader Tuesday.
The Muskies bounced back after letting the first game slip away 5-4 when the Red Hawks' Ashlyn Schultz hit a game-winning three-run home run in the hosts' final at bat. Lakeland rebounded to stay above .500 on the season, finishing the day at 13-11 overall while Ripon is now 9-16.
The Muskies came out on fire in the second game, building an 11-0 lead in the third inning.
Carlie Morrow (
Jr.-Menasha, Wis.) hit a two-run double as part of a five-run second inning,
Lexi Howard (
Fr.-Crown Point, Ind.) drove in a run with a double in the first and another run with a triple in the second, and
Jordan August (
Sr.-Schererville, Ind.) singled in her first three at bats, including driving in the first run of the game in the first and another run with a bunt single in the second.
Lakeland scored in all five innings, including three runs in the fifth to go ahead 15-2.
Avery Meister (
So.-Novi, Mich.) singled to drive in a run, moving to 3-for-3 at the plate in pinch hitting appearances this season, and Harlow hit a two-run triple to score Meister and
Kendyll Holub (
So.-Sturtevant, Wis.).
August, Gaedtke and Harlow all had three hits each with Howard and Morrow adding two hits in a 17-hit attack. Howard also scored three runs.
Melanie Watters (
Sr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) picked up the win in the circle, pitching four solid innings and allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) for her second win of the season before
Jenna Winge (
Jr.-Homer Glen, Ill.) finished the game out with a pair of strikeouts in the fifth.
The Muskies were in prime position to win the opening game as well after scoring three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
McKenzie Staudinger (
So.-Manitowoc, Wis.) hit a two-run single in the fourth to give Lakeland the lead, Harlow drove in a run while reaching on a fielder's choice and Holub scored in the fifth on a Ripon error.
Jacie Jones (
Jr.-Prairie du Sac, Wis.) had pitched six solid innings going into the Red Hawks' last chance in the bottom of the seventh, but Ripon's Maddie Heisler led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and Maddie Hablewitz reached on a walk. Schultz then came up and hit a three-run homer to left field for her first home run of the season and just the Red Hawks' third homer of the season as a team.
Gaedtke finished with two hits in the first game and five hits for the day in all. Holub also reached twice including a single and a walk and scored twice, but the Muskies did not post a single extra-base hit in the game in their seven hits against Alayna Sadowska, who wound up with the win after allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned) with four strikeouts and five walks.
Lakeland is back home for games Friday and Saturday, including two games against Concordia University Wisconsin on Friday starting at noon.
