Lakeland College

Jurek homers twice as Muskies crush Stars in NAC Tournament

Athletics - posted on 5/5/2011

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Freshman Brittany Jurek (Gladstone, Mich.) hit two home runs to lead the Lakeland College softball team to a 13-3 win against Dominican University in round one of the 2011 Northern Athletics Conference Tournament at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis.

Lakeland rallied back from a 2-0 deficit in the first inning to advance to play No. 1 seed Benedictine University Friday morning at 9 a.m.

The Muskies (15-10, 15-24) found their consistency at the plate in the second inning. Jurek's two-run home run in the second inning tied the game at two. Sophomore Heather Haeflinger (Shawano, Wis.) reached first base on an error and was batted in on sophomore Jenny LaLuzerne's (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) single. Junior Leah Sheahan (Salem, Wis.) brought home LaLuzerne on a single to left field to take a 4-2 advantage.

Dominican's bats came alive in the third inning as they scored to make it a 4-3 game. Lakeland answered in the fifth inning behind doubles by freshmen Chelsea Gile (Grand Junction, Mich.), Jurek and Sammy Rieder (St. Cloud, Wis.). The Muskies scored three runs to extend their lead, 7-3.

Jurek homered again in the sixth inning to bring home sophomore Megan Olson (Stoughton, Wis.) who hit a double of her own. Lakeland scored another three runs to take a 10-3 lead over the Stars.

Lakeland's defense held up as they stranded Dominican's runners on base behind the pitching of freshman Marissa Roovers (Appleton, Wis.), who left the Stars off balanced at the plate. Roovers (7-6) recorded three strikeouts while giving up three runs on only five hits.

The Muskies' bats refused to go quiet as Haeflinger, LaLuzerne and sophomore Erin Henk (Hoopeston, Ill.) scored in the seventh inning to impose their will on the Stars to take a final 13-3 lead.

LaLuzerne led the team at the plate going 5-for-5 with two RBIs. Jurek posted a career-high five RBIs and two home runs.

The Muskies advance to take on the NAC regular season champs, Benedictine University Friday morning. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m. in game three of the 2011 NAC Tournament.

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