Baseball

APPLETON, Wis. — Swinging a red-hot bat earned Lawrence University baseball standout Brandon Klar Midwest Conference Player of the Week honors.

Klar (University City, Mo./Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day), a senior infielder, hit a sizzling .625 in seven games during Lawrence’s spring break trip to Florida. Klar improved his batting average on the season to a team-best .529 to go with 11 runs batted in.

Klar went 15-for-24 with four doubles, one triple and nine RBIs. Klar had an .875 slugging percentage and posted a 1.518 OPS. Klar also scored six runs and was a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen bases.

Klar’s biggest game on the trip came in Lawrence’s one-run loss to Benedictine (Ill.). He went 4-for-5, drove in three runs and scored a run.

The Vikings return to action this weekend when they open Midwest Conference play with a four-game set against Ripon. Lawrence travels to Ripon on Saturday, and the Red Hawks come to Whiting Field on Sunday.

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The Benedictine (Ill.) University baseball team scored a run in the bottom of the ninth Saturday to secure a 9-8 nonconference victory over Lawrence University.

Brandon Klar went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs for the Vikings, and Reno Zemrak was 3-for-5, scored a run and drove in a run.

Lead-off hitter Nolan Spencer was 2-for-3 and scored three runs for Lawrence. Matt Holliday was 2-for-5 with two doubles and drove in a pair, and Travis Weber also was 2-for-5 with two RBI for the Vikings.

Jack Feeley went 3-for-4 with three runs scored to pace Benedictine (7-5).

It was Feeley who got the winning rally started with the game tied at 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth. Feeley singled off reliever Zach Rabideau with one out and Sam Kerr followed with a double to score the walk-off victory.

Lawrence (3-9) rallied twice after the Eagles had seized the lead. Benedictine was up 5-1 when the Vikings scored in three consecutive innings to take the lead.

Lawrence trimmed the lead to 5-2 in the fourth when Rabideau singled and later came home on Zemrak’s infield single.

The Vikings tacked on three more runs in the fifth to tie it. Spencer and Klar opened the inning with singles, and Holliday followed with a double to trim the lead to 5-3. Weber delivered a two-run single to tie the score at 5-5.

Lawrence grabbed the lead in the sixth when Zemrak singled and later came around to score on Klar’s clutch two-out single for a 6-5 edge.

Benedictine struck back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Lawrence rallied again in the eighth. The two-out rally got started when Anthony Ortiz reached on an error and Spencer was hit by a pitch. Klar followed with a single to score Ortiz, and Holliday doubled to score Spencer and tie the game at 8-8.

Marty Maves pitched the final 1.1 innings to get the win, and Rabideau took the loss after 3.1 innings of relief.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The St. Olaf College baseball team put together a pair of big innings Friday and went on to a 14-2 nonconference victory over Lawrence University.

The Oles (6-5) scored six times in the third inning to break the game open and then ended the game with four runs in the seventh inning.

Dylan Blake went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs to pace St. Olaf’s 15-hit attack. Will Gustafson went the distance to pick up the victory.

Zach Rabideau went 3-for-3 with a double and scored a run to pace Lawrence (3-8). Matt Holliday allowed nine runs in 2.1 innings and took the loss.

The Oles led 3-1 when they collected five hits in the third and took advantage of a pair of hit batsmen to score six times. St. Olaf led 10-2 and closed the game out with four runs in the seventh.

Box score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The Lawrence University baseball team earned a nonconference doubleheader split with Carleton College on Thursday.

The Knights took the opener 5-4, and Lawrence rallied for a 5-4 victory in the nightcap.

In the second game, Lawrence rallied for four runs in the fourth inning and then escaped jams in the sixth and seventh to preserve the win.

Brandon Klar went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs for the Vikings (3-7), and rookie Rudy Mueller-Schrader had a double and two RBIs.

Brad Olson allowed four runs in the first inning but settled down to work six strong innings for his first collegiate victory. Zach Rabideau pitched the seventh to pick up his second save of the season.

The first four batters of the game scored for Carleton (6-5), and the Vikings trailed 4-1 heading to the bottom of the fourth.

A fielder’s choice and walk put two runners aboard for Lawrence, and Mueller-Schrader belted a two-run double to trim the lead to 4-3. Two more walks loaded the bases, and Klar delivered a two-run, two-out single to give Lawrence a 5-4 advantage.

The Knights threatened in the sixth and had Brendon Fischel at third with one out. Olson got a line out and a popup to end the inning. Rabideau entered in the seventh but gave up a two-out triple to Griffin Bolte. Rabideau then struck out Wilson Battle looking to end the game.

In the opener, Carleton got a run in the bottom of the eighth to break a 4-4 tie. Chris Lasch led off the inning with a double against starter Kyle Duex, and Kennan Moore followed a run-scoring single to win it.

Travis Weber went 2-for-4 with a triple and drove in two runs for Lawrence, and Klar and Rabideau also went 2-for-4.

Lawrence trailed 3-0 before rallying for three runs in the top of the third. Klar’s single and an error on Matt Holliday’s grounder put two runners on base, and Andrew Lauber followed with a single to score Klar. Weber then smacked a two-run triple to tie the game at 3-3.

The Knights scratched out a run in the fifth to take the lead, but Lawrence tied it in the top of the seventh. Nolan Spencer started the rally with a one-out triple and came home on Holliday’s single to tie the game at 4-4.

Duex went the distance for Lawrence and took the loss. He allowed nine hits, struck out three and walked three. Alec Lawler went the distance, allowing 10 hits, to pick up the win.

First game box score

Second game box score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The Lawrence University baseball team scored two runs in the top of the ninth Sunday to rally for a 7-6 nonconference victory over Clarkson University.

Included in the winning rally was a steal of home and a key passed ball to set up the winning run.

Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 and scored a pair of runs for the Vikings (2-6). Andrew Lauber and Brandon Klar had two hits apiece for Lawrence, and Lauber drove in three runs.

Zach Rabideau allowed one run and three hits over four innings to earn the win for the Vikings. Kyle Duex worked a perfect ninth for the save.

Clarkson (1-2) took a 6-5 lead with a run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Vikings rallied against reliever Andrew Smith, who took the loss.

Spencer started the rally with a one-out triple, and after a strikeout, the speedy shortstop stole home to tie the game at 6-6. Holliday followed with a single, and moved to second on a passed ball. Lauber then delivered a single to score Holliday and put the Vikings up 7-6.

Lawrence opened the game by scoring three runs in the top of the first as Lauber stroked a run-scoring double and Travis Weber delivered a two-run double. Clarkson countered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning.

The Vikings tied it at 4-4 in the second when rookie Patrick McDonnell blasted his first collegiate homer to start the inning. Clarkson took a 5-4 lead in the third, and Lawrence tied it in the fifth when Klar doubled and scored on Lauber’s squeeze bunt.

Box score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The University of Minnesota-Morris baseball team swept a nonconference doubleheader from Lawrence University on Saturday.

The Cougars won the opener 10-4 and squeezed out a 5-4 win in the nightcap in the seven-inning contests.

In the nightcap, Lawrence scored a run in the top of the sixth, and Morris got an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning to win it.

Brandon Klar went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and drove in a run for Lawrence (1-6). Brad Olson went the distance and allowed just five hits and one earned run.

Lawrence grabbed a 2-0 lead in the as Klar drove in one run with a double and Travis Weber plated the other with a groundout. Morris tied it with two runs in fourth, but Lawrence manufactured a run in the fifth on a Ethan Jones’ single, a sacrifice bunt and a pair of wild pitches.

Morris grabbed the lead back with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 4-3 edge. Lawrence tied it in the top of the sixth when Matt Holliday was hit with a pitch and scored on Andrew Lauber’s triple.

Morris (2-8) scored the game winner after Bryce Jergensen singled and later scored all the way from first after an error on a sacrifice bunt. Lawrence went down in order in the top of the seventh.

In the opener, Morris pounded out 12 hits and took advantage of seven Lawrence errors. The Cougars trailed 2-0 after the first, but scored four runs in the third and three more in the fourth to take control.

Michael Dockendorf went the distance to pick up the win. Holliday made the start and allowed 11 hits over five innings to take the loss. Holliday also went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in a run.

Game one box score

Game two box score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Lawrence University baseball team exploded for six runs in the final two innings Friday en route to a 7-4 nonconference victory over Loras College.

The Vikings scored three runs in the eighth to tie it and added three more in the ninth to win the first game of their spring break trip.

Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 with two doubles and drove in three runs for the Vikings (1-4), and Brandon Klar drove in two runs. Mike Brady worked two scoreless innings to get his first collegiate victory, and Zach Rabideau pitched the ninth for the save.

Lawrence trailed 4-1 before scoring three times in the eighth. Nolan Spencer started the inning with a walk, and Klar followed with a run-scoring double. Travis Weber then smacked a run-scoring triple, and Holliday plated Weber with a single to tie it at 4-4.

Reno Zemrak led off the ninth with a single for the Vikings, and Cole Erickson came in to run. After Spencer’s single put runners at the corners, Klar followed with a sacrifice fly to put Lawrence up 5-4.

Weber walked to put runners at the corners again, and Holliday belted a two-run double to give the Vikings a three-run cushion.

Rabideau gave up a two-out double in the ninth but avoided any further damage to record the save.

Box score

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The Grinnell College baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday to post a 5-4 nonconference victory over Lawrence University.

Lawrence had rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth to grab a 4-3 lead before Grinnell countered with a pair in the bottom half of the inning.

Matt Holliday homered and went 2-for-4, and Reno Zemrak and Ethan Jones also went 2-for-4 for the Vikings (0-4). Lawrence’s Brandon Klar homered and drove in a pair of runs.

Brad Weaver’s two-run double gave Grinnell the 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth, but Lawrence started the ninth with a triple from Zemrak. Grinnell pitcher Ben Binversie then struck out the next two hitters and a flyout to end the game and pick up the win.

Lawrence started its eighth-inning rally with a Nolan Spencer walk, and Klar followed with a homer to tie the game at 3-3. Holliday then launched a one-out solo homer to give Lawrence a 4-3 edge.

Rookie pitcher Brad Olson allowed only four hits and two earned runs over 7.1 innings to get a no-decision. Rudy Mueller-Schrader took the loss in relief.

Box score

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth Sunday to pull out a 12-9 nonconference victory over Lawrence University.

The three runs in the ninth capped a back-and-forth contest that saw the teams combine for 10 runs in the final three innings.

Garrett Shea went 3-for-5 with a homer four runs batted in to pace Illinois Wesleyan’s 14-hit attack.

Andrew Lauber went 3-for-4, scored two runs and drove in a pair for the Vikings (0-3). Matt Holliday and Patrick McDonnell had two hits apiece for Lawrence, and Travis Weber, Rudy Mueller-Schrader and Mike Brady all drove in a pair of runs.

Jon Vlk worked the final two innings to get the win, and rookie Ethan Jones pitched the ninth for the Vikings and took the loss.

After the Vikings threw a runner out at home in the top of the ninth to preserve a 9-9 tie, Tim Smyk smacked a run-scoring double, and Shea followed with a two-run double to put the Titans ahead for good. Lawrence went down in order in the bottom of the ninth.

Illinois Wesleyan (3-0) scored five in the first to take command, but the Vikings countered with six in the third to take a 6-5 lead. Weber and Mueller-Schrader both had two-run doubles in the inning, and Lauber had a run-scoring double.

The Titans scored three in the top of the seventh to take an 8-6 lead, but Brady delivered a two-run double in the bottom half of the inning to tie it at 8-8. The teams both scored single runs in the eighth to set up Illinois Wesleyan’s rally in the ninth.

Box score

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The Elmhurst College baseball team scored four runs in the first inning Saturday and hung on for a 6-3 nonconference victory over Lawrence University.

Nick Drago allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings to pick up the win. He struck out six and walked two. Karson Thomas worked the final two innings to pick up the save.

Mike Brady took the loss for Lawrence (0-2) in his first collegiate start. Zach Rabideau pitched 4.1 innings of one-hit relief for the Vikings.

Elmhurst jumped on the Vikings in the first inning and scored four times on just one hit as Lawrence made two errors, had a hit batsman and issued a bases-loaded walk.

The Vikings started the bottom of the first with a single from Nolan Spencer and later loaded the bases. Spencer scored on a wild pitch, and Rudy Mueller-Schrader singled to score Travis Weber and trim the lead to 4-2.

The Bluejays added single runs in the fourth and fifth to go up 6-2, and the Vikings had trouble pushing another run across. Lawrence had scoring chances in the second, third, fifth and seventh before finally scoring in the eighth.

Mueller-Schrader was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to trim the lead to 6-3, but Ethan Jones flied out to end the threat.

Spencer went 2-for-5, and Mueller-Schrader drove in a pair of runs for Lawrence.

Box score