Holliday powers Vikings to split with Beloit

APPLETON, Wis. — Matt Holliday blasted a three-run homer Saturday and picked up the victory on the mound for the Lawrence University baseball team as the Vikings split a Midwest Conference doubleheader with Beloit College at Whiting Field.

Lawrence took the nightcap 11-3 after Beloit won the opener 8-0.

In the second game, Holliday went 4-for-4, drove in four runs and scored a pair of runs. He also allowed four hits over 6.1 innings to pick up the win. Holliday left the game in the seventh after getting hit by a batted ball.

Andrew Lauber went 3-for-4, and Nolan Spencer scored three times for the Vikings (9-18, 3-6 MWC).

Luke Brennan couldn’t get out of the third inning, allowing five runs on hits, and took the loss for Beloit (21-9, 7-3), which leads the MWC North Division.

Lawrence grabbed a 3-1 lead in the first as Anthony Ortiz picked up a run-scoring double and Travis Weber and Dan Rothbauer both had RBI singles.

The Vikings added another run in the second and then broke the game open with five runs in the third. A walk, hit batsman and an error set the stage, and Brandon Klar smacked a two-run double to put the Vikings up 6-1. Holliday then belted a three-run homer to give the Vikings a 9-1 edge.

The Vikings added single runs in the fifth and eighth, and Zach Rabideau allowed one run over the final 2.2 innings to lock down the win for the Vikings.

In the first game, Ryan Kaveney allowed three hits over eight innings to earn the win for Beloit. He struck out six and walked three.

Chris Shaw allowed only five hits over seven innings for the Vikings, but Beloit used three walks and four errors to score eight times.

Brice Call went 2-for-5 to pace the Bucs, who scored three times in the third and added three more in the eighth to pull away.

Game one box score

Game two box score