PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Sam Marchant (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) hit her second grand slam of the season, leading a pair of Lakeland University softball scoring outbursts in a sweep of two games against Alverno College Saturday afternoon.

The Muskies defeated the Inferno by scores of 23-9 and 12-1, with both games finished in five innings. Lakeland made the most of a cold and windy but at least finally dry day and improved to 15-10-1 overall and 7-3 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.

The Muskies scored in bunches in the doubleheader, including innings scoring seven, five and 11 runs in the first game and four and eight runs in an inning in the second. Lakeland also put up its most runs in a game in 18 years in the opener, with its 23 runs the most since a 27-6 victory over Maranatha Baptist April 7, 2008.

The Muskies scored their 23 runs on just 10 hits, with Alverno pitchers contributing nine walks and nine hit batters. McKenzie Staudinger (Jr.-Manitowoc, Wis.) walked three times, Avery Meister (Jr.-Novi, Mich.) got aboard twice on walks and Lexi Howard (So.-Crown Point, Ind.) was hit by pitch twice, one of eight Lakeland players to be hit by a pitch.

The Muskies got plenty out of their hits in the first game, including Abby Heitman (Sr.-St. Francis, Wis.) hitting a deep drive to right-center for a two-run double to drive in two runs and open the scoring. Marchant followed two batters later with another drive to right-center that with a strong wind behind it easily carried over the fence for a grand slam, just the third Lakeland home run of the season and her second after also hitting a grand slam against Concordia Chicago March 21.

Maddie Raske (Jr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) also added an RBI single in the first to make it 7-0, and the Muskies would score 16 more runs over the next two innings on just six hits. Kendyll Holub (Jr.-Sturtevant, Wis.) hit a two-run single, Tian Brooks (Fr.-Sun Prairie, Wis.) hit a three-run triple for her first collegiate hit and Aralese Gappa (Jr.-Greenfield, Wis.), Kaylee Hunt (So.-St. Paul Park, Minn.) and Reyna Rupnow (Jr.-Ixonia, Wis.) added RBI singles in a stretch that also included six more runs scored on bases-loaded walks or hit batters.

Natalie Ziebell (So.-New Holstein, Wis.) pitched 3 1/3 innings to earn the win, allowing five hits without a run while striking out three. The Muskies were actually outhit in the game 12-10, with the Inferno (2-20 overall, 0-10 NACC) scoring nine runs in the top of the fifth on eight hits before the final out.

Lakeland delivered more pop in scoring its runs in the second game, with 13 hits in the contest including 11 over the first two innings.

Staudinger hit a two-run triple to open the scoring in the first inning and Raske drove in three with a bases-loaded double in the second. Marchant and Callie Linders (Jr.-Griffith, Ind.) also both chipped in two-run doubles as the Muskies again quickly blew the game open.

Griffith finished with three hits and two runs scored and Staudinger went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two run scored. Lily Pettit (So.-Rewey, Wis.) pitched three innings, allowing two hits and one run while fanning four in the win while Addison Dierschow (Fr.-Sycamore, Ill.) added two hitless innings in relief.

Lakeland is back on the field tomorrow, traveling to De Pere to take on St. Norbert College for a twinbill starting at noon.