Joseph Vanden Acker

Author: Joseph Vanden Acker

Green Knights sweep Lawrence

The St. Norbert College baseball team swept a Midwest Conference doubleheader from Lawrence University on Monday by the scores of 16-0 and 11-3 at Whiting Field.

In the opener, Josh Honzik tossed a one-hit shutout, and Garrick Fisher powered St. Norbert’s attack by going 4-for-5 and driving in five runs. The only hit Honzik allowed was Davide Harris’ second-inning double. Honzik struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter.

St. Norbert (10-10, 4-2 MWC) led 2-0 heading into the fifth but then exploded for eight runs. Fisher and Chris Hillesheim both hit two-run homers in the inning. The Green Knights added six more runs in the sixth, and Fisher hit a three-run homer in that inning.

The nightcap looked like it was going to be a slugfest after St. Norbert scored three times in the top of the first, and Lawrence added two runs in the bottom half of the inning against Bryan Stoppenbach.

Stoppenbach came out and threw one warmup pitch in the second before heading back to the dugout with an apparent injury. Kevin Nutley came in and tossed seven innings of one-run relief to pick up the win.

St. Norbert led 5-2 before breaking the game open with four runs in the fourth. The big hit in the inning was Matt Hannon’s two-run double.

Ryan Way led St. Norbert by going 3-for-5 with a pair of runs batted in, and Chad Ljunggren went 2-for-4 with four RBI.

Robert Rashid and Sam Kossow both went 2-for-4 for the Vikings (2-23, 0-6), and Kossow drove in a pair of runs.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Saturday’s baseball doubleheader, men’s tennis match postponed

Saturday’s baseball doubleheader, which had been scheduled to be played at St. Norbert College, has been postponed due to wet field conditions. Lawrence will now play at St. Norbert at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Lawrence will host St. Norbert in a doubleheader at Whiting Field on Monday at 1 p.m.

Saturday’s men’s tennis match vs. Ripon College also has been postponed. The match has been rescheduled for April 30 at 2 p.m. on the Lawrence Courts.

Zane, Brisbois run to victories at UW-Oshkosh Invitational

OSHKOSH, Wis. — David Zane and Jamie Brisbois both ran to victories Friday at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational at Titan Stadium.

Zane raced to first in the 10,000 meters in 33:24.45 and teammate Dan Moeller finished fourth. Brisbois was tops in the 3,000 steeplechase in 11:28.72.

The Lawrence men finished fifth in the team standings. The Lawrence women took seventh place.

Leading the way for the women was high jumper Rose Tepper, who grabbed third place with a jump of 5 feet, 0.25 inches. Also posting a top finish for the women was Sam Luebke, who took fourth in the 200 meters.

Results

Weather forces changes to Lawrence schedule

A late April snowstorm has forced multiple changes to the Lawrence University spring sports schedule this week.

The Friday, April 22, softball doubleheader with UW-Whitewater has been canceled. The Lawrence Spring Invitational golf tournament scheduled for Saturday, April 23, has been postponed. Lawrence’s baseball doubleheader with St. Norbert College, which was scheduled for Thursday, April 21, has been moved to Monday, April 25.

Inside LU Athletics: Gurholt continues to power Vikings

After Lawrence University shortstop Carli Gurholt blasted a foul ball out of the park last Sunday at the University of Chicago, Maroons coach Ruth Kmak breathed a noticeable sigh of relief.

The relief didn’t last long.

Two pitches later, Gurholt hit a grand slam that broke Lawrence’s career home run record. A native of tiny Scandinavia in central Wisconsin, Gurholt has battled through injury the past two seasons but the senior has become one of the most prolific hitters in Lawrence history.

“She threw me an off-speed inside pitch and I cranked it foul,” said Gurholt, who now has 22 career homers and 106 runs batted in.

“It was an 0-2 count. I was protecting the plate. I consider myself more of an aggressive hitter. If they screw up and pitch it to me, I’ll hit it.”

Gurholt, who has been hampered by an injury to her non-throwing arm, is leading the team with a .453 batting average to go along with 11 doubles, one triple, three homers and 23 RBI.

“I was going into the season thinking I was going to be a defensive player,” said Gurholt, who was hurt initially last season and decided to play through the pain this year.

“I didn’t have any offensive expectations of myself. It’s a huge surprise that I can play and hit.”

Lawrence coach Kim Tatro said she was concerned at how limited the 2009 Midwest Conference North Division Player of the Year was going to be this season.

“Am I surprised? Yes, but I’m thrilled. She’s far exceeded what we thought she was going to be able to do this year,” Tatro said.

“Early in the season, we went in with the mindset she wouldn’t hit at all.”

Tatro said the coaching staff has tried to be smart in how much Gurholt practices and even limiting her game time here and there. That’s tough for a player like Gurholt, who thrives on taking the field every day.

“Carli is a perfectionist and is the type of kid who loves practice and loves repetitions,” Tatro said.

“She doesn’t have a 75 percent switch. When she takes the field she goes all out. She’s going to dive for a ball in practice, and I can’t stop her from doing that.”

A career .392 hitter, Gurholt has learned from this experience that she can rely on all the work she has put in through the years.

“It makes me feel better if I practice and practice my swing. I just have to trust myself.  Those thousands of swings I’ve taken off the tee, I have to trust that,” Gurholt said.

“This injury has taught me to be more selective. I haven’t been able to see the ball quite this well before. I’ve been more disciplined. I think I’m using that to my benefit.”

“I’m really confident with her ability to have a quality at-bat,” Tatro said. “That’s plus for us and led to her success. It’s what makes her great.

She kind of thinks like a coach, and I’ve told her this before. She has a keen sense of awareness in many phases of the game that most college players don’t have.”

Gurholt has been pretty selective, drawing a team-high 15 walks in 23 games and has a sparkling .586 on-base percentage.

Gurholt knows patience, both for her and this pretty young Vikings team, will be a key as they drive toward a spot in the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament. She believes the team’s continued offensive improvement will be a key in the final weeks of the regular season.

“If we can focus on hitting good pitches and go up there ready to hit the ball, then we have a chance,” Gurholt said.

Wind knocks down Stevens

Sophomore Sam Stevens was on pace to post a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Division III Championships in the 800 meters this past Sunday at the Wisconsin Lutheran Relays, and then he turned for home. Right into the teeth of a 25 mile per hour wind.

Stevens won the event but finished in 1:58.78, but needs to shave a little more than six seconds off that time to be a provisional qualifier.

Tepper tops the list

Sophomore Rose Tepper also won at the Wisconsin Lutheran Relays, taking first in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 4.25 inches. That is the best jump in the conference thus far this season.

Tepper, a NCAA Championships qualifier during the indoor season, needs a jump of 5-5 to provisionally qualify for the outdoor meet.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.

Tepper, Stevens take individual titles at Wisconsin Lutheran Relays

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Rose Tepper and Sam Stevens both won events for the Lawrence University track and field team on Sunday at the Wisconsin Lutheran College Relays.

Tepper, a national qualifier indoors in 2011, won the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 4.25 inches. She also placed 11th in the javelin. The Lawrence women finished seventh in the team standings with 31 points.

Stevens grabbed first in the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.78. The Lawrence men also got top-five finishes from Dan Thoresen, who grabbed third in the 1,500, and M. Jay Bouska, who was fourth in the high jump.

The Lawrence men finished fourth in the team standings with 47 points. 

Results

Vikings finish seventh at Carroll Invitational

SUSSEX, Wis. — The Lawrence University golf team took home a seventh-place finish Sunday at the Carroll University Invitational.

John Pechan paced the Vikings with an 85 at Ironwood Golf Course to finish tied for 20th. Jon Mays and Zach Joseph both shot 88 to tie for 26th. Nathan Fearing shot 93 to finish 33rd.

Carthage College won the title with a team score of 308, and Lawrence shot 354. Carroll’s Sam Luedtke shot 73 to win the individual title.

Results

Vikings edged by Carroll

NEW BERLIN, Wis. — The Carroll University men’s tennis team posted a 6-3 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University on Sunday. The Vikings posted wins by Jason Dunn and No. 1 singles and Caleb Ray at No. 2 singles and picked up a win at No. 2 doubles.

Carroll University 6, Lawrence University 3
Apr 17, 2011 at New Berlin, Wis. (Moorland Park Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. Jason Dunn (LU) def. Rasmussen, Kevin (CU) 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)
2. Caleb Ray (LU) def. Zellner, Matt (CU) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (11-9)
3. Silseth, John (CU) def. Max Zlevor (LU) 3-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8)
4. Joost, Matt (CU) def. Jeremy Andereck (LU) 6-1, 6-4
5. Giuffre, Frankie (CU) def. Roy Wimer (LU) 6-4, 6-1
6. Porter, Cody (CU) def. Bile Ali (LU) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Zellner, Matt/Rasmussen, Kevin (CU) def. Jason Dunn/Max Zlevor (LU) 8-4
2. Caleb Ray/Jeremy Andereck (LU) def. Silseth, John/Joost, Matt (CU) 8-6
3. Giuffre, Frankie/Porter, Cody (CU) def. Bile Ali/Roy Wimer (LU) 8-1
Match Notes
Lawrence University 4-12 (0-1)
Carroll University 13-6 (1-0)

Elmhurst shuts out Lawrence

CHICAGO, Ill. — Julie Devine drove in six runs to lead the Elmhurst College softball team to a 12-0 nonconference victory over Lawrence University on Sunday at the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field.

Elmhurst (10-17) jumped on the Vikings early. The Bluejays scored four times in the first, and Devine had a three-run double in the inning.

Elmhurst then pulled away by scoring seven times in the second. Devine belted a three-run homer in the second.

Lindsay Nauman went the distance for Elmhurst. She allowed three hits, struck out six and walked five.

Emily Perish took the loss for Lawrence (10-13). She gave up 11 hits and walked four.

Gurholt belts grand slam but Vikings fall to Chicago

CHICAGO, Ill. — Carli Gurholt blasted a grand slam in the seventh inning, but the Lawrence University softball team dropped a 6-4 nonconference decision to the University of Chicago on Sunday at Stagg Field.

Chicago (17-8) scored five times in the first and led 6-0 heading into the top of the seventh.

Lawrence (10-12) loaded the bases in the seventh on a fielder’s choice and a pair of singles. Gurholt then smacked a two-out grand slam to cut the lead to 6-4 but that’s where the rally ended.

Cathy Kaye and Alissa Geipel, who were both aboard when Gurholt homered, both went 2-for-4 to pace the Vikings.

Sarah Neuhaus went the distance for Chicago and allowed eight hits while striking out seven and walking two. Shannon Murray pitched the entire game for Lawrence and took the loss.