The Benedictine University softball team (17-4, 8-0) was back in action on Monday afternoon, taking on the Lakeland College Muskies (6-16, 1-7) in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader. BenU took both games, winning 3-1 and 11-3 to extend the winning streak to 13 games.

Game One

Lakeland threatened early in the ballgame, loading the bases on a single and two walks in the top of the first inning. After Holly Haberkorn induced a ground ball to escpae the inning unscathed, the Eagles began a rally in the bottom half of the inning. A leadoff single by third baseman Shannon Fritsche and a steal of second put BenU in scoring position with two outs. Clean-up hitter and catcher Kailee Cable came through in the clutch, singling home Fritsche to take the 1-0 lead.

The first inning run turned out to be all Haberkorn would need, as she allowed just two baserunners for the rest of the game (error in the fourth, hit in the seventh). BenU would get more insurance runs in the fourth, as left fielder Jenna Boyajian homered to score pinch runner Liz Jimenez.

Haberkorn moved to 8-2 on the season with a two-hit shuotut. At the plate, the Eagles talled seven hits, led by multi-hit games from Fritsche and first baseman Courtney Grasz, as well as Boyajian's home run.

Game Two

Lakeland started things off with three early runs off BenU starter Melissa Guzior (1.2 innings pitched, three runs, one earned), but BenU responded with seven straight hitters reaching base in the bottom of the first. After a single by Sarah Koch and double by Cable tied the score at three, Grasz hit a grand slam to give the Eagles a 7-3 lead after one.

Benedictine added two more runs of insurance in the second, scoring on an error and a bases-loaded walk by Tori Walzak to build the lead to 9-3. Grasz and Cable each knocked in runs on singles in the fourth and fifth to round out the offense.

Eryn Pondo relieved Guzior in the second inning and coasted through 3.1 innings of work, allowing three hits and no runs to earn the win. At the plate, Cable was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, three runs and two RBI. Koch was 3-for-4 with three runs, a double, and an RBI, and Grasz went 2-for-4 with her grand slam and five RBI.

The Eagles return to the diamond on Wednesday at rival Aurora in a matchup of two of the top teams in the NACC. First pitch for game one is set for 3:00 p.m.