Box Score (Game 1): LC 8, CUW 6
Box Score (Game 2): CUW 8, LC 2

Audio (Game 1): Listen to the entire game
Audio (Game 2): Listen to the entire game

MEQUON, Wis. - Concordia University Wisconsin's softball team entered the weekend on a four-game winning streak, but split a pair of games against Lakeland College on Saturday afternoon at the CUW Softball Complex, falling 8-6 in the first game before earning an 8-2 victory in the second matchup.

CUW (16-12, 11-3 NAC) held a 6-2 lead after five innings in the first game of the doubleheader, but ended up on the losing end after Lakeland (13-9, 8-2 NAC) erupted for six runs in the sixth inning behind a three-run home run from Chelsea Gile.

The Falcons responded nicely in the second game, however, recovering from an early 2-0 deficit to score eight unanswered runs while senior Danielle Burke (Burlington, Wis.) allowed only five Muskie hits. Junior Cara Landherr (Waukesha, Wis.) swung a hot bat, crushing a home run in each game, to finish 4-for-7 at the plate to lead the Falcons offense.

Game One Recap:

The Falcons cruised through the first five innings of play and looked to be on their way to a fifth-consecutive victory, as they held a 6-2 lead with only two innings to play.

CUW scored a run in each of the first five innings, highlighted by two RBI each from juniors Janelle Schroder (Colgate, Wis.) and Landherr, who smacked a solo home run over the right field fence in the fifth inning.

But things came undone in the sixth inning, when LC mounted a two-out rally that saw the Muskies plate six runs, with the exclamation point coming off a booming three-run homer from Gile.

Sophomore Jamie Schuh (Freedom, Wis.) started for the Falcons in the circle and struck out four batters, but threw a whopping 123 pitches before running into trouble in the sixth.

Game Two Recap:

The Muskies picked up where they left off following the first game, as Sammy Reider nailed a two-run home run to left field in the first inning.

That's all the damage the Muskies would do offensively, however, as Burke buckled down for the remainder of the contest by shutting the visitors out for the following six innings.

At the plate, the Falcons didn't strike until the fourth inning, when they scored four runs with the help of Landherr's second home run of the day. Sophomore Mariah Giesseman (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) and freshman Jessica Liszka (Lindenhurst, Ill.) also had RBI triples in the inning.

CUW would tack on three more runs in the fifth inning, before adding an insurance run in the sixth.

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Next up for the Falcons is a doubleheader at home against Aurora University on Sunday. The action is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.