The Dominican University softball team split their second straight Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) series, topping the Marian University Sabres 5-3 in game one before falling 15-8 in the nightcap.
 
With the split, the Stars move to 14-8 overall and 4-2 in conference play.  Dominican will enjoy an off-day on Tuesday before returning to the Ballpark at Rosemont on Wednesday for a doubleheader with the Concordia University Chicago Cougars in NACC action.  First pitch for game one is slated for 5:00 p.m.
 
Game One:  Dominican 5, Marian 3
 
The Stars' Sydney Kuderna (Naperville, Ill.) stayed perfect in the circle, moving to 5-0 with a complete-game effort while getting just enough run support from the offense.
 
Marissa Burns (Shorewood, Ill.) and Alyssa Domico (Naperville, Ill.) had a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the first as Dominican staked Kuderna to an early 2-0 lead.
 
Lakeland cut the lead in half in the top of the second but the Stars got that run back in the home half of the inning when Abby Maike (Savanna, Ill.) slapped a single to left to plate Catherine Conte (Elmwood Park, Ill.).
 
The Stars added to their lead an inning later when Burns and Ali Woitovich (Downers Grove, Ill.) singled to start the inning.  Burns came across on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Domico and Woitovich later scored when freshman Gabi Alfaro (Aurora, Ill.) yanked a double down the left field line.
 
Marian touched Kuderna for single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to narrow the deficit to 5-3 but the freshman stranded runners at second and third in the fifth and Conte caught a runner stealing in the sixth to help the Stars out of a jam. Kuderna again stranded runners at second and third in the seventh, keeping the tying run out on the bases to nail down the victory.
 
Kuderna was charged with three runs, two earned, on eight hits and four walks while striking out two over the seven innings.
 
Offensively for the Stars, Burns led an eight-hit effort for Dominican going 2-for-3 at the plate.
 
Game Two:  Marian 15, Dominican 8
 
The Marian offense, averaging better than eight runs per game coming into the day, erupted earlier in game two, roughing up Dominican's pitchers for ten runs over the first two innings, aided by a trio of Dominican errors and three walks.
 
The Stars clawed back to within three runs, 11-8, when Maike tripled to right-center with a pair of runners on and then scored on a Sabre throwing error but Marian went on to score four runs in the top of the sixth to put the game back out of reach.
 
Maike and Gabby Curran (Elmhurst, Ill.) combined to go 5-for-6 with a pair of triples and four RBI in the losing effort.