Liz Barthels tossed a shutout in game two, and the Lawrence University softball team split a nonconference doubleheader with Alverno College on Thursday at Whiting Field.
Barthels, a freshman pitcher, allowed only three hits as Lawrence (5-9) defeated Alverno (7-11) 9-0 in the nightcap. A Lawrence rally fell short as Alverno won the opener 6-4.
In the nightcap, Barthels picked up her first collegiate win and shutout. He struck out one and walked two.
Alissa Geipel, Shannon Murray, Kara Vance and Coley LaChance all had two hits for the Vikings in the nightcap.
Barthels got all the offense she would need when Lawrence scored twice in the bottom of the first. Cathy Kaye and Geipel both singled in the inning and later scored on an error on Murray’s ground ball.
Lawrence padded the lead with four runs in the third. The Vikings had three hits in the inning, including LaChance’s run-scoring single, and also benefitted from a pair of Alverno errors.
Lawrence then put the game away with three more runs in the fourth. Mary Diduch had a two-run single, and Brielle Bartes added a run-scoring groundout to give the Vikings a 9-0 lead.
In the opener, Alverno built a 6-0 lead and then had to hang on for the victory in the seventh.
Diduch and Bartes had back-to-back singles to start the rally in the seventh. LaChance followed with a run-scoring single to trim the lead to 6-1. After the inning’s second out, Kaye blasted a three-run homer to cut the lead to 6-4.
Alex Chiodo followed with a double, and Geipel was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base. Murray then grounded out to end the game.
Murray went the distance and took the loss for Lawrence. She allowed 11 hits, struck out six and walked three. Erin Dulek pitched 6 2/3 innings and picked up the win. Jamie Villalobos got the final out for her first save of the season.