Big second game leads Vikings to doubleheader split with Ripon

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team pounded out 14 hits in the nightcap Saturday to earn a Midwest Conference doubleheader split with Ripon College at Whiting Field.

The Vikings took the nightcap 13-6, and Ripon won the opener 5-2.

In the second game, Lawrence rookie Andrew Lauber went 2-for-4, including his first career homer, and drove in three runs. Another freshman, Nolan Spencer, went 3-for-5, and Brandon Klar, Dan Rothbauer and Travis Weber had two hits apiece.

Matt Holliday allowed four runs over seven innings to improve to 3-0 on the season for the Vikings (7-10, 1-1 MWC). Ripon’s Matt Hecht gave up eight runs over 4.2 innings and took the loss.

Lawrence led 3-1 when the Vikings broke the game open with five runs in the fifth. The Vikings had already scored a run in the inning on Weber’s sacrifice fly when Lauber blasted a two-run homer to left for a 6-1 lead. A walk, hit batsman and an error helped Lawrence score two more times to lead 8-1.

The Vikings tacked on two more runs in the sixth on run-scoring singles from Weber and Spencer for a 10-3 advantage.

Ripon (4-17, 2-4) cut the lead to 10-4 in the top of the seventh, but Lawrence answered with three more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Klar and Rothbauer picked up RBI singles in the inning and Lauber added a sacrifice fly.

In the opener, Ripon got eight shutout innings from starter Drew Slade to pick up the win. Slade allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked two.

Lawrence starter Chris Shaw took the loss despite pitching well. He gave up eight hits, struck out 10 and walked three.

Nick Schmitt, Nick Kita and Bradley Knoblock all had two hits in the opener for the Red Hawks.

Holliday went 4-for-4 with a double to pace the Vikings in the first game, and Lauber and Spencer picked up run-scoring singles as Lawrence scored twice in the ninth.

Game one box score

Game two box score