BELOIT, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team took the opener Sunday and split a Midwest Conference doubleheader with Beloit College at the Ballpark at Strong Stadium.
Lawrence won the first game 5-4, and the Bucs took the nightcap 14-4.
In the first game, the Vikings (10-19, 4-7 MWC) escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the bottom of the ninth to earn the win.
Cole Erickson went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in three runs to lead the Lawrence attack, and Carl Olsen also went 2-for-4.
The Vikings built a 5-0 lead after three innings after picking up a pair of unearned runs in the second and three more runs in the third. Erickson had a run-scoring single in the second and smacked a two-run double in the third.
The Bucs (22-10, 8-4) chipped away at the lead with single runs in the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth. Beloit then loaded the bases in the ninth on a single, an error and a walk against reliever Craig Batchelor, but he got a pair of popups on the infield and a flyout for his first career save.
Kyle Duex went eight innings, allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked one to get the win for Lawrence. Beloit starter Austin Padgen went seven innings and took the loss.
In the second game, Brice Call went 4-for-5, scored four runs and drove in three to lead Beloit. The Bucs built a 6-0 lead after two innings and finally sealed the win with four runs in the eighth.
Zach Rabideau went 2-for-4 in the nightcap to pace Lawrence.
Dan Rothbauer started, allowed five hits and six runs and took the loss. Jamie Huntley tossed 5.2 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.