PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Lily Pettit (Fr.-Rewey, Wis.) pitched a three-hit shutout and received plenty of run support as the Lakeland University softball team rebounded from a first game loss to defeat Concordia University Chicago 7-0 to split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at home.

The Muskies bounced back after a 6-5 loss in the first game to split with a team that entered the day second in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference standings. Lakeland took one of two with a second game win for the third straight doubleheader and is 14-12 overall and 8-4 in the NACC halfway through the conference schedule.

The Muskies again shook off disappointment in the first game of a twinbill to dominate the second, including scoring in five of their six innings at bat. Lakeland led 2-0 in the first after Maddie Raske (So.-Tinley Park, Ill.) hit an RBI double and Sydney Meyer (Jr.-Crown Point, Ind.) added a run-scoring single, and the Muskies continued to build the lead with single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings plus two more in the fourth.

The first-inning runs would be more than enough for Pettit, who twirled her second shutout of the season. The freshman was in complete control, allowing just three hits without a walk and never allowing a runner past first base. Pettit struck out just one but retired 11 by fly outs and nine by groundout, including six to Lexi Howard (Fr.-Crown Point, Ind.) at third base.

Meyer and Raske both had two hits in the second game and Meyer drove in two, also adding an RBI double in the fifth. Howard and Sam Marchant (So.-Green Bay, Wis.) also added run-scoring singles and Carlie Morrow (Jr.-Menasha, Wis.) hit her fifth triple of the season and scored twice.

Lakeland came up short in the first game, missing a number of opportunities against three Concordia pitchers. The Muskies outhit CUC 15-8 but stranded 12 baserunners and also had a two more runners thrown out at home plate.

The Cougars (19-11 overall, 12-4 NACC) broke a 5-5 tie in the fifth inning when Jessica Geng singled with one out, moved to second with two outs after an error and scored on a single by Arissa Santos. Lakeland would strand a pair of runners in the bottom of the fifth, the bases loaded in the sixth and a runner in the seventh as CUC held on.

The teams went back and forth over the first three innings, trading runs in the first before Lakeland grabbed the lead with two runs in the third. Meyer singled to send Raske in after a leadoff double and Morrow later flared a single down the right field line to score Meyer.

Concordia took the lead with four runs in the third, all coming with two outs. A string of five consecutive hitters reaching base included Santos walking with the bases loaded to tie the game and Arissa Campos followed with a two-run single to center to make it 5-3. The Muskies came back to tie again in the bottom of the inning as Meyer reached on a fielder's choice to drive in a run and McKenzie Staudinger (So.-Manitowoc, Wis.) lined a single to right center to score Meyer.

Morrow went 4-for-5 in the first game and Jordan August (Sr.-Schererville, Ind.) also added three hits. Marchant and Raske also posted two hits each. Natalie Ziebell (Fr.-New Holstein, Wis.) took the loss, throwing a complete game and allowing eight hits and six runs (five earned) with three strikeouts.

The Muskies next will face Wisconsin Lutheran College on Monday for a doubleheader starting at noon.