PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Alverno softball team held an early lead in the opening game of Tuesday's rescheduled conference doubleheader against the Lakeland Muskies, but the home team was able to erase the early deficit to earn the game one win before picking up the game two win as the Muskies swept the action.
 
Alverno hit .277 as a team on the afternoon, including a four-hit afternoon by sophomore Izzy Torres, who had a double as well as her second home run of the season as she along with classmate Megan Bradford were tied for the team lead with two RBIs apiece.
 
Freshman Andrea Ramirez collected two hits, while senior Lauren Greif connected on a pair of knocks including her second double of the season. The pair scored one run apiece, while Greif added an RBI.
 
Alverno also got hits from junior Natalie Akin, sophomore Zimri Lemonds and freshman Izzy Luevano. Sophomore Ashley Flores added her first career hit with a double in the opener before coming around to score a run.
 
Torres got the start in the circle in the opener and pitched three innings while striking out one. Senior Kaitlynn Schmick pitched the final 3 1/3 innings as she added another four strikeouts to give her a team-leading 32 before adding two more in her outing during the second game.
 
Schmick started and went two innings in the second contest as she struck out her two batters before Torres came on in relief and threw one inning. Greif finished the game as she registered one strikeout over the final frame.
 
Game 1
Alverno's offense jumped all over the Lakeland starter as Luevano led off the opener with an infield single. Two batters later, Greif doubled to the gap in left centerfield and drove across Luevano for the game's first run. Torres and Greif traded places with a double as Alverno moved ahead 2-0. Ramirez singled and later moved up to second to put a pair into scoring position ahead of Bradford's two-run double to put the Inferno up 4-0.
 
After a 1-2-3 inning by Torres, Flores got the offense restarted with a double before moving up to third. Lemonds pushed a single to the opposite field to give the Inferno a five-run lead. Lakeland chipped back with one run in the bottom of the second on a fielder's choice to trim the Alverno lead back down to 5-1.
 
Torres opened the third with the third leadoff hit for Alverno on the game before Akin reached on an error, and Ramirez singled to load the bases with no outs. Two batters later, freshman Maggie Wilmot connected on a sacrifice fly allowing Torres to score as the Inferno regained its five-run advantage.
 
In the bottom of the third, Lakeland was able to cross two runs on a steal of home and a sacrifice fly, but Torres was able to hold the Muskies back from scoring more. Schmick came on in the fourth and held Lakeland scoreless as Alverno went to the fifth holding onto the 6-3 lead.
 
Alverno got two of the first three batter on in the fifth inning, but were unable to take advantage as the next two batters struck out. Schmick added a strikeout to start off the bottom of the fifth before a lineout and a pop up ended the fifth.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Lakeland continued its scrappy ways and were able to tie the game at six with an RBI single and a two-run triple as the game was even heading into the seventh frame.
 
After Alverno went down in order in the top of the inning, the Muskies opened the inning with a bunt single before a stolen base and a single put runners at the corner with one down. A stolen base and an error allowed the winning run to cross the plate as the Muskies escaped with the game one victory by a 7-6 score.
 
Game 2
In the second game, Alverno's offense did not get off to as hot a start as Greif reached with a two-out single in the opening frame before the inning was over. Lakeland, however, picked up from its momentum late in game one and plated a pair for the early lead.
 
Torres led off the second with a base knock but was erased no a fielder's choice by Schmick as Lakeland hung another zero in the top of the second inning. In the bottom half, the Muskies added three runs on three hits, and an error to open up a five-run lead. Lakeland added six runs in the bottom of the third to take an 11-0 lead.
 
In the top of the fourth, Torres was batting with one out and launched a solo home run over the centerfield fence to break the shutout and put the Inferno on the board.
 
The Muskies added four more runs in the fourth inning before setting Alverno down in order in the top of the fifth to record the 15-1 victory.
 
Alverno (1-12, 0-5 NACC North) will host Lakeland on Wednesday afternoon on the Alverno Softball Field with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. Please note, only two spectators per student-athlete are permitted at this afternoon's contest. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own seats as the bleachers behind home plate will be closed.