Vikings power to doubleheader sweep of St. Norbert

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University softball team smacked three homers, including a grand slam, on the way to sweeping a Midwest Conference doubleheader from St. Norbert College on Wednesday.

Lawrence won the opener 11-4 and took the nightcap 4-1 at Whiting Field.

Savanna Marsicek hit her first career grand slam in the opener that busted the game open on her way to going 2-for-4 with four runs batted in and two runs scored. Sam Belletini went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored for the Vikings, and Taylor Dodson and Tierney Duffy both had two hits.

Lawrence (23-9, 9-3 MWC) scored four times in the first as Dodson and Duffy both picked up run-scoring singled sandwiched around a bases-loaded walk to pitcher Kara Vance. The Vikings added three more runs in the second, including two on Belletini’s double, to take a 7-3 lead.

The Vikings were up 7-4 in the fifth when they loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Marsicek then blasted a grand slam into the teeth of a strong wind to give Lawrence an 11-4 lead.

Vance went the distance, allowing nine hits while striking out two and walking two, to pick up the victory.

In the nightcap, Lawrence hit two more homers and got a workmanlike performance from pitcher Liz Barthels to record the sweep.

St. Norbert (11-21, 6-6) scored in the top of the first inning, but Amanda Jaskolski gave the Vikings a 2-1 edge in the bottom half of the inning when she smacked a mammoth two-run homer. Lawrence made it 3-1 in the second when Katie Schumacher belted a solo homer.

Lawrence pulled out to a 4-1 edge when Jaskolski walked to open the third and then scored on Dodson’s single.

Barthels escaped a big jam in the fourth when the Anna Wawiorka threw out Jessica DeMeuse at the plate on a fielder’s choice. Barthels then struck out Brooke Wilson and snared a line drive to end the inning.

Barthels retired 11 of the final 12 hitters she faced. She went the distance, allowed seven hits, struck out two and didn’t walk a batter.

Belletini and Wawiorka both went 2-for-3 in the nightcap for the Vikings.

Lawrence moved into sole possession of first place in the MWC North Division with the sweep, which was the first sweep of the Green Knights since 2005. Lawrence is one game ahead of Carroll University, and the Vikings host the Pioneers in the final conference doubleheader of the season on Saturday.

Game one box score

Game two box score