RHINELANDER, Wis. – The Lakeland University softball team got an early start to its season, dropping non-conference games to Ripon College and Lawrence University Wednesday afternoon in the Hodag Dome in northern Wisconsin.

The Muskies got off to a bumpy start facing the two Midwest Conference schools, including a 4-0 shutout loss to Ripon in their opener. Lawrence then came from behind to defeat Lakeland 5-3 in both teams' second game of the day.

The Muskies were stymied in the opener by Ripon freshman pitcher Peyton Vandeloo, who made her collegiate debut with a two-hit shutout. Vandeloo struck out nine and walked one, and Lakeland's lone hits were a single by Jacie Jones (Sr.-Prairie du Sac, Wis.) in the fourth inning and a single by Lexi Howard (So.-Crown Point, Ind.) in the seventh.

The Red Hawks took an early lead with a two-out RBI single by Nadiyah Huizar in the second inning, then added on three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Carli Molden and Nora Lowney hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles, and Huizar added another RBI single that chased starter Natalie Ziebell (So.-New Holstein, Wis.) from the game.

Ziebell pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits and four runs with seven strikeouts, and was working on a four-hitter until encountering trouble in the sixth.

Lakeland also fell behind early in the second game as Lawrence (2-0 overall) scored twice in the top of the first. The Muskies' bats finally heated up in the fourth inning and resulted in a three-run rally to take the lead, including Sam Marchant (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) and Kaylee Hunt (So.-St. Paul Park, Minn.) hitting back-to-back triples to drive in runs. McKenzie Staudinger (Jr.-Manitowoc, Wis.) then followed with a single to score Hunt and give the Muskies a 3-2 lead.

The Vikings came right back, though, scoring two runs in the fifth to take the lead. Allisyn Briggs and Janna Bode hit back-to-back RBI doubles, and the Vikings added on one more run in the seventh when Zoe Doherty hit a double to drive in a run, Lawrence's sixth double of the game.

Marchant and Maddie Raske (Jr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) both had two hits each for Lakeland, which had eight hits as a team but stranded seven runners, four more than the Vikings. Lily Pettit (So.-Rewey, Wis.) pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs, and Addison Dierschow (Fr.-Syacamore, Ill.) finished the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and one run with two strikeouts and two walks.

Lakeland now gets ready for its spring break trip to Florida, where it will open play Monday, March 9 against Saint Mary's (Ind.) College at 9 a.m. Central, 10 a.m. Eastern time in Melbourne, Fla.