FRANKLIN, Wis. – Peyton Harlow (Jr.-La Porte, Ind.) hit a two-run triple to tie the game and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the Lakeland University softball team completed a doubleheader sweep with a big rally to defeat Wisconsin Lutheran College 9-8 Monday afternoon at The Rock Sports Complex.

The Muskies came back from six runs down to win the second game and follow up a 19-4 victory in five innings in the teams' first game. Lakeland ended a string of three consecutive doubleheader splits with its third sweep in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play and improved 16-12 overall and 10-4 in the NACC, tied for second in the conference in the loss column with Concordia Chicago and Concordia Wisconsin.

Harlow's second triple of the game and third of the afternoon capped the Muskies' most dramatic rally and finish of the season and in appropriate fashion for the day. Lakeland hit a season-high five triples in the game, including a number of quick strikes aiding a comeback from a 7-1 deficit after four innings.

The Muskies scored five times in the fifth inning to get back into the game, loading the bases with nobody out after singles by Reyna Rupnow (So.-Ixonia, Wis.) and Carlie Morrow (Jr.-Menasha, Wis.) and a walk to Jordan August (Sr.-Schererville, Ind.). Maddie Raske (So.-Tinley Park, Ill.) then delivered a bases-clearing three-run triple with one out, and Harlow followed with her first triple of the game to make it 7-5. Sydney Meyer (Jr.-Crown Point, Ind.) then singled to score Harlow and make it a one-run game.

Wisconsin Lutheran (9-20 overall, 4-12 NACC) added a run in the bottom of the sixth, taking advantage of a Lakeland error, but the Muskies quickly mounted a rally in the seventh. Lexi Howard (Fr.-Crown Point, Ind.) led off with a single to extend her hitting streak to 10 games and Raske also singled, and both moved up on the throw to the infield to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Harlow then hit a triple to right center to drive in both, and came in to score the lead run when Meyer's bunt resulted in a wild throw to first.

Lakeland still had trouble to get out of in the bottom of the seventh when pinch hitter Mia Alejo led off with a double against Natalie Ziebell (Fr.-New Holstein, Wis.), the winning pitcher in the first game who came on in relief in the seventh. Alejo moved to third after Gwen Malecke hit a comebacker to Ziebell for the first out, and Olivia Krieser followed with a line drive that Ziebell got a piece of, enough to deflect it to Meyer at second base. Meyer then threw to third to catch Alejo off the base and complete the game-ending 1-4-5 double play.

Harlow went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the second game and Raske added two hits and three runs batted in. Morrow and Rupnow also finished with two hits and Melanie Watters (Sr.-Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing four hits and two unearned runs with one strikeout. Ziebell picked up her second save of the season.

The Muskies stormed through the first game with their biggest offensive outburst of the season, scoring 19 runs in just five innings. Lakeland scored four in the first inning, three in the second, two in the third and fourth innings and then added eight more runs in the fifth inning, the last rally coming on just three hits and helped by four WLC walks.

Meyer went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, August was 2-for-2 with three runs batted in and Howard, Raske and Abby Heitman (Jr.-St. Francis, Wis.) added two hits each. All nine players in the starting lineup recorded a hit and scored a run and Harlow, Heitman, Rupnow and Kendyll Holub (So.-Sturtevant, Wis.) also drove in two runs apiece.

Ziebell pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and four runs (three earned) with a strikeout with Maddie Klauer (So.-Fort Atkinson, Wis.) cleaning up for the final out.

Lakeland faces another key NACC doubleheader Wednesday when it travels to take on Marian University for two games starting at 3 p.m.