Monmouth hangs on to take pair from Vikings

ROCKFORD, Ill. — The Monmouth College baseball team held off Lawrence University in the nightcap of a nonconference doubleheader on Tuesday and posted a pair of wins over the Vikings at Road Ranger Stadium.

Monmouth won the opener 10-4 and took the nightcap 7-6.

In the opener, Monmouth (11-6) scored seven times in the second with the benefit of only one hit to take control. The Scots used five walks, a hit batsman and an error to put together the big inning.

Matt Van Dusen and Ross Donnan had two hits apiece for Monmouth in the opener, and Donnan drove in a pair of runs.

The Scots managed only seven hits in the first game, but Lawrence starter John Doran walked six in three innings. Chad Skaer tossed four innings of one-hit relief for the Vikings (2-13).

Robert Rashid and Phil Wisniewski had two hits apiece for the Vikings, and Michael Baldino drove in a pair of runs.

In the nightcap, Monmouth scored six times in the first against Lawrence starter Dan Salzbrenner. Brad Winkler’s two-run double was the key hit in the inning.

The Vikings chipped away at the lead with Rashid’s RBI double in the third and Rashid’s inside-the-park homer in the fifth.

The Scots led 7-2 after five, but Lawrence scored four times in the eighth. Alex Brewer picked up a RBI double, and Baldino had a two-run double to trim the lead to 7-6.

Lawrence had the bases loaded with one out, but Monmouth got out of the inning when Gabe Henriques flied out and Baldino was cut down at home trying to score on the play.

The Vikings had the tying run in scoring position in the ninth, but Brewer grounded out to end the contest.

Donnan went 4-for-4 in the nightcap, and Van Dusen was 2-for-4 for Monmouth. Rashid went 3-for-4 for the Vikings, and Baldino, Davide Harris and Marc Linger all had two hits apiece.

Matt Young pitched seven innings to get the win, and Salzbrenner took the loss.

Game one box score

Game two box score