The Dominican University softball team built upon the best start in program history on Monday evening, sweeping a doubleheader from the Lakeland College Muskies in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to move to 15-3 on the year and 4-0 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC).
 
Freshman lefty Michele Behrens (Frankfort, Ill.) remained undefeated in the circle, tossing a complete-game, five-hitter in a 3-1 win in game one before the Stars' offense cranked out 14 hits in an 11-6 win in game two.
 
The Stars take a break from conference action on Tuesday, entertaining the North Park University Vikings for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader at the Ballpark in Rosemont.
 
Game One:  Dominican 3, Lakeland 1
 
Behrens scattered five hits over seven innings while striking out three.  Pitching with a two-run lead in the bottom of the third, Behrens squashed a big inning for the Muskies, getting a pop out to second and a fly out to center after Bella Wilkinson's RBI single, that cut the Stars' lead in half, was followed by a hit batter.
 
Behrens allowed just one hit and three runners the rest of the way, pitching around a pair of Dominican errors in the field in the seventh to preserve the victory.
 
Dominican's offense got two runs in the top of the second when Alyssa Domico's (Naperville, Ill.) leadoff walk was followed by a double by Armani Procter (Chicago, Ill.).  Domico was pushed across when Ali Woitovich (Downers Grove, Ill.) bounced out to first.  Siena Gyure (Crown Point, Ind.) then followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Procter.
 
The Stars' added an insurance run for Behrens in the top of the seventh when Kaitlin Barajas (Dyer, Ind.) delivered a two-out, pinch hit single that scored freshman Kaitlyn Tripp (Imperial, Mo.).
 
Eight different hitters picked up hits for the Stars in the winning effort, including Marissa Burns (Shorewood, Ill.) who went 1-for-3 with a triple.
 
Game Two:  Dominican 11, Lakeland 6
 
Dominican's bats came to life in game two, pounding out six hits in a seven run fifth inning to open a 10-5 lead.  Barajas, Catherine Conte (Elmwood Park, Ill.) and Sara Hausl (St. Charles, Ill.)had RBI singles in the inning while Burns cranked a two-run single to left to cap the rally.
 
The Stars then turned the game over to their bullpen, calling on Gyure who would go on to pick up a three-inning save, surrendering just one run on four hits and two walks.
 
Sarah Slouber (Willow Springs, Ill.) picked up the win, tossing four innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on nine hits and one walk.  Slouber improves to 4-0 on the year.
 
Burns and Tripp each went 3-for-4 at the plate with Burns knocking in three runs while Barajas added a pair of hits with two runs batted in.