MONTGOMERY, Ill. – Dominican University scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, including the winning run coming in on an error to deal the Lakeland University softball team a bitter 2-1 defeat in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Friday evening.
The Stars one-upped the Muskies' earlier seventh-inning rally, coming from behind to top Lakeland for the fourth time in the teams' five meetings over the last two seasons. The top seed Dominican (26-15 overall) advances to face No. 3 Benedictine University on Saturday, while the fifth-seeded Muskies (26-16-1 overall) now head to an elimination game Saturday against No. 2 seed Concordia University Wisconsin at 11 a.m.
In a game dominated by pitching for the game's first six innings, Lakeland had just broken through in the top of the seventh, scoring the game's first run to get to the doorstep of victory.
Maddie Raske (
Jr.-Tinley Park, Ill.) hit an RBI single to score pinch runner
Kaylee Hunt (
So.-St. Paul Park, Minn.), who had come on after
McKenzie Staudinger (
Jr.-Manitowoc, Wis.) led off the seventh with a single
Muskies starting pitcher
Natalie Ziebell (
So.-New Holstein, Wis.) was outstanding through six innings, scattering five hits in shutting out the Stars. Dominican's biggest threat came back in the second, when Ryley Davis led off with a single and moved to third on a one-out single by Madisen Butler, but Ziebell retired Sara Cornell on a foul out and Kailee Diaz on a ground out to end the inning.
The Stars opened the seventh with Butler hitting a single through the left side, and a controversial play followed after Cornell laid down a bunt in an attempted sacrifice. The Dominican batter briefly hesitated, then headed to first and in doing so made contact with Lakeland catcher
Sam Marchant (
Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.) as she attempted to grab the bunt. Marchant was knocked down, her attempt to throw to first was late because of the contact and pinch runner Adison Hasse went all the way to third on the play. Umpires huddled but did not call interference on the play, leaving runners at the corners and nobody out.
Pinch hitter Emme Slavens then hit a single to left field to tie the game, and a sacrifice moved runners to second and third with one out. Isabella Olmos then hit a one-hop comebacker to Ziebell, but the ball went off the pitcher's glove, allowing Olmos to reach and Cornell to score the winning run.
Raske went 2-for-3 for Lakeland, while Butler (three hits) and Davis (two hits) combined for five of Dominican's eight hits. Ziebell pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed eight hits and two runs with one strikeout, while the Stars' Hannah Richards picked up the win allowing five hits and one run with two strikeouts in a complete game.
Lakeland now will need to win twice on Saturday to advance to Sunday's championship round. The Muskies take on Concordia Wisconsin after the Falcons lost to Benedictine 6-5 in eight innings in Friday night's second game.
