Baseball

Category: Baseball

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings take a step forward on diamond

Splitting a four-game series to open the Midwest Conference baseball season may seem like equal parts satisfaction and disappointment.

It would be tough to blame Lawrence University is they were feeling more satisfied than disappointed with going 2-2 against Ripon College.

It marked the first time since 2000 that the Vikings won more than one game during a season against the Red Hawks, and Lawrence (4-12, 2-2 MWC) now has more conference wins and more total wins in 2012 than it had all of last season.

“That is a big step forward,” Lawrence coach Jason Anderson said. “To split with the defending conference champions, looking at it a few days later, we’re pretty pleased with getting a split.

“We were happy but we weren’t satisfied. There was a pretty big level of disappointment because we felt like we missed (winning the final game of the series). That really shows that we’re maturing. The level of expectation for each other has gone up a lot and that’s nice to see.”

Anderson is in his fourth season with the Vikings, and in many ways he was rebuilding the program. The Vikings hadn’t had a full recruiting class for two seasons when Anderson took over in 2009, and this year’s squad is still dominated by underclassmen.

“Almost everyone who played last year was a freshman or a sophomore. We were very inconsistent as individuals. One or two guys having a bad day doesn’t allow you to win baseball games,” Anderson said.

“That level of consistency with guys who have played a year or two of college baseball has gone up.”

The Vikings are regularly starting their one senior, third baseman/pitcher Eric Bohling, juniors Davide Harris, Gabe Henriques, Phil Wisniewski and Alex Brewer, sophomores Sam Kossow and Darvis PridGeon and freshmen Joel Birch and Jake Gordon.

Bohling is leading the team in hitting at .358 and Harris is close behind at .355. Henriques is next at .344 and leads the team with 13 runs batted in. Wisniewski is at .340 and has a team-best eight doubles.

The biggest issue in 2011’s 3-32 season was pitching. The pitching staff is larger this season and it is freshmen Drew Doares, Davis Ogilvie, Kelton Jenkins and Atley Gay that are spearheading this group.

“Our freshmen are pitching pretty close to their potential, but it takes some adjustment to pitch at the college level,” Anderson said. “You can’t always get a guy out with the fastball so you have to have something else in your pocket there.

“We have cut our ERA almost in half because we’re throwing more strikes. Our biggest disappointment this year has been our defense. We need to throw even more strikes and get better on defense to keep improving.”

With the solid start to the Midwest Conference season in hand, Lawrence has six nonconference games before resuming league play against Beloit on April 21. Anderson believes this stretch of games allows the Vikings to get some more experience on the mound and solve some defensive issues.

“We’re in a good spot right now, but we need to get better,” Anderson said. “We’re in a spot where we’re not behind the eight ball (to start the conference season). If we throw strikes and take care of the baseball, we can play with anyone.”

Henriques ranked

Henriques, a junior infielder from Chicago, is ranked in the top 25 nationally in a pair of statistical categories. Henriques is tied for 24th at 0.19 triples per game, and he is tied for 25th in toughest to strike out. Henriques has struck out only twice in 64 at-bats this season.

Dunn wins MWC honor

Lawrence men’s tennis standout Jason Dunn was named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week. Dunn, a Fond du Lac native, went 2-0 on the week at No. 1 singles as Lawrence split a pair of matches.

Dunn beat UW-Whitewater’s Byron Balkin 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8) and then pounded John Rolando of Rock Valley 6-0, 6-3. Dunn, who improved his season singles record to 10-9, also split a pair of No. 1 doubles matches with partner Max Zlevor.

Closing in on 300

Lawrence softball coach Kim Tatro has a chance to hit 300 career victories this week. Tatro, in her 19th season at Lawrence, has a career record of 296-270-1.

Tatro is a six-time Midwest Conference North Division Coach of the Year and has won more games (387, 296 in softball, 91 in volleyball) than any coach in Lawrence history. She coached the Vikings to MWC championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Lawrence plays at St. Norbert on Wednesday before traveling to the Midwest Conference Classic in Waukegan, Ill., for five games against the South Division on Saturday and Sunday.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a 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.

Vikings post doubleheader split at Ripon

RIPON, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team took the opener on Saturday at Ripon College, and the Red Hawks rallied late to secure a split of the Midwest Conference doubleheader at Francis Field.

Lawrence (4-12, 2-2 MWC) won the first game 8-7, and Ripon (10-8, 2-2) took the nightcap 16-8.

In the opener, Davide Harris, Gabe Henriques, Joel Birch, Phil Wisniewski and Darvis PridGeon all had two hits for the Vikings. Birch drove in three runs, and Harris and Henriques drove in two runs apiece.

Phil Clark won the game in relief of starter Davis Ogilvie, and Alex Brewer pitched the final two innings for his first save of the season. Zach Lauterbach lasted only 3 1/3 innings and took the loss.

Lawrence jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Eric Bohling and Birch both delivered run-scoring singles. Lawrence made it 4-0 in the top of the second when Harris delivered a run-scoring triple, and Henriques followed with a RBI single.

Ripon cut the lead to 4-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning, but Lawrence then struck for four runs in the top of the fourth. Harris and Henriques both had run-scoring singles, and Birch later came through with a two-run single to give Lawrence an 8-2 lead.

Ripon scored twice in its half of the fourth and two more times in the fifth to cut the lead to 8-6. The Red Hawks scored a run in the eighth to cut the lead to 8-7, but Henriques threw another runner out at the plate to preserve the advantage. Brewer then retired the side in order in the ninth for the save.

In the nightcap, Eric Schumacher went 3-for-5 and drove in four runs to pace Ripon, and Kyle Bosquez was 3-for-4, scored five runs and drove in three.

Tyler Ketz picked up the win by throwing seven innings of relief. Starter T.J. Pierce walked six batters in the first two-plus innings before he was replaced. Clark took the loss in relief for Lawrence.

Harris and Jake Gordon both went 2-for-4 to pace Lawrence’s offense.

Ripon led 4-0 after the opening inning, but Lawrence battled back with two runs in the second, including one on Gordon’s run-scoring single. Lawrence then scored three times in the third without a hit to tie the game at 5-5. Ripon walked four batters in the inning and uncorked a wild pitch.

Ripon grabbed the lead back with two runs in the fifth, but Lawrence scored twice in the top of the sixth with a RBI double from Harris to tie it at 7-7. Ripon countered with two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Lawrence cut the lead to 9-8 on Bohling’s sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth.

Ripon then exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the bottom of the eighth to finally put the game away.

Game one box score

Game two box score

 

Bohling’s big hit lifts Vikings to doubleheader split against Ripon

Eric Bohling’s dramatic two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning rallied the Lawrence University baseball team to a Midwest Conference doubleheader split with Ripon College on Thursday at Whiting Field.

Bohling’s heroics gave Lawrence (3-11, 1-1 MWC) a 5-4 win in the nightcap, and Ripon  (9-7, 1-1) posted an 18-5 victory in the opener.

Bohling went 4-for-5 and drove in four runs in the nightcap. Gabe Henriques went 2-for-4 and scored two runs for the Vikings.

Alex Brewer got the final two outs in the ninth to improve to 2-0 on the season. Patrick Van Daalwyk went three innings and took the loss.

Bohling had a run-scoring single and Sam Kossow picked up a sacrifice fly to give Lawrence a 2-0 lead in the first. Ripon tied it with two runs in the third and then grabbed a 4-2 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth.

Lawrence trimmed the lead to 4-3 with a run in the seventh. Bohling dropped in a single down the right field line to scoring Jake Gordon to cut the Ripon lead to one.

The score stayed that way when Davide Harris walked and Henriques followed with a double to put runners at second and third to start the bottom of the ninth inning. Ripon brought in Tom Fish to face Bohling, who belted a double into the right-center field gap that scored both runners and won the game.

Freshman Kelton Jenkins made the start for Lawrence and turned in a fine effort. He went seven innings, allowed seven hits, struck out two and walked one.

In the opener, Ripon broke open a tie game with 10 runs over the fifth and sixth innings.

Ryan Paul went 4-for-4, hit a grand slam in the ninth inning and finished with seven runs batted in to pace Ripon’s 16-hit attack. Tom Sawyer went 3-for-3, scored five times and drove in three runs.

Steven Blader went eight innings, allowed nine hits, struck out seven and walked two to earn the victory. Andrew Doares went 4 1/3 innings and took the loss for the Vikings.

Henriques, Brewer and Phil Wisniewski all had two hits for the Vikings, and Brewer drove in a pair of runs.

The game was tied 2-2 when Ripon scored six times in the fifth with Sawyer picking up a two-run double in the inning. The Red Hawks then added four more runs in the sixth to go up 12-2. Paul had a two-run double in that inning.

Ripon then put the finishing touches on the win when Paul hit a grand slam in the four-run ninth.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Marian tops Vikings in pair of tight games

FOND DU LAC, Wis. — The Marian University baseball team topped Lawrence University in a pair of tight games in a nonconference doubleheader on Wednesday at Herr-Baker Field.

The Sabres (7-5) rallied to take the opener 8-6, and Marian rallied again for a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

In the opener, Lawrence jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but Marian scored eight times in the fourth and fifth innings to win. Josh Gruenke went 3-for-3 and Kent Lentz and Will Martin drove in two runs apiece to pace Marian’s offense. Jeff Thomas picked up the win in relief.

Eric Bohling and Joel Birch both went 2-for-3 and Bohling drove in two runs for Lawrence (2-10). Andrew Doares made the start, worked 4 2/3 innings and took the loss despite allowing only three earned runs.

Lawrence took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third on only two hits. The Vikings took advantage of a hit batsman and two wild pitches to go along with Alex Brewer’s run-scoring single.

The Vikings went up 6-0 in the fourth, and the big hit in the inning was Bohling’s two-run single. Sam Kossow added a sacrifice fly for Lawrence.

Marian countered with six runs on five hits in bottom half of the fourth. Two Lawrence errors meant only one of those six runs was earned. The Sabres then scored two more times in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good.

Lawrence got the tying run to the plate in the seventh but couldn’t cash in.

In the nightcap, Lawrence outhit the Sabres 13-8. Davide Harris, Gabe Henriques, Phil Wisniewski, Birch and Kossow all had two hits for the Vikings. Kelton Jenkins took the loss in relief for Lawrence.

Lawrence trailed 4-1 after the first inning but came back to take a 5-4 lead in the fifth.

The Vikings scored twice in the third after back-to-back doubles from Harris and Henriques and a sac fly from Birch to trim the lead to 4-3. Lawrence tied the game in the fourth on Tanner DeBettencourt’s run-scoring single, and took a 5-4 lead in the fifth on Wisniewski’s sacrifice fly.

Martin’s two-run double in the bottom half of the fifth gave the Sabres a 6-5 lead. Marian then wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth to hang on for the win.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Big seventh inning pushes Bethel past Vikings

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Bethel (Minn.) University scored six times in the bottom of the seventh inning and went on to a 7-1 nonconference victory over Lawrence University on Saturday.

Bethel scored six runs on six hits against the Lawrence bullpen in the sixth to take control of the contest.

The outburst against the bullpen overshadowed a great effort by freshman pitcher Atley Gay. He went six innings, allowed four hits, struck out three and walked four and got a no decision. Matt Rowley pitched seven innings for Bethel to pick up the win.

Phil Wisniewski went 3-for-3 with two doubles to pace the offense for Lawrence (2-7). Davide Harris went 2-for-4 for the Vikings.

Bethel grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third, but Lawrence tied it at 1-1 in the top of the seventh. An error got the rally started, and pinch-runner Richie Foreman moved to second on a bunt. Wisniewski’s single moved Foreman to third, and he scored on Harris’ ground out.

Freshman Dan Taylor took the loss in relief for the Vikings.

Bethel pulls away late to down Vikings

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Bethel (Minn.) University baseball team scored seven runs in the final four innings and downed Lawrence University 11-2 in a nonconference game on Friday.

Bethel (7-6) led 4-1 after five innings but scored five times in the sixth and added two more runs in the eighth to put the game away. Lead-off hitter David Freed went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three runs batted in to pace Bethel

Lawrence (2-7) scored single runs in the first and seventh innings. The Vikings collected eight hits, and Josh Graber paced the Vikings by going 2-for-3. 

Davis Ogilvie allowed seven hits over 4.1 innings and took the loss. He walked five and struck out five. David Anderson went seven innings and allowed only one earned run to pick up the win.

 

SUNY-Oneonta rallies late to down Lawrence

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The SUNY-Oneonta baseball team rallied for seven runs in the seventh inning and topped Lawrence University 12-7 in a nonconference game on Thursday.

The Vikings had led 6-4 heading into the decisive seventh inning.

Lawrence, which collected nine hits, was led by Davide Harris, who went 2-for-5. Oneonta led 3-2 after the top of the fourth, but Lawrence tied it in the bottom half of the inning. The Vikings then added a pair of runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 6-4 edge.

Oneonta, which had 14 hits, then scored seven times in the seventh against the Lawrence bullpen. Starter Drew Doares allowed three earned runs over the first six innings, and Kelton Jenkins took the loss in relief.

 

Western Connecticut pulls away late to top Lawrence

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Western Connecticut State University baseball team pulled away in the final two innings to post a 12-4 nonconference win over Lawrence University on Wednesday.

Western Connecticut led 5-4 going into the top of the eighth, and the Colonials scored five times in the eighth and added two more runs in the ninth.

Lawrence (2-5) outhit the Colonials 14-11, but the Vikings couldn’t cash in on multiple scoring chances. Lawrence could have pulled away early, but the Vikings left seven runners on in the first three innings.

Davide Harris and Gabe Henriques both went 4-for-5 to pace the Lawrence attack. Harris picked up a triple and Henriques drove in a run. Phil Wisniewski went 2-for-3, drove in a run and stole two bases for the Vikings.

Western Connecticut led 2-0 after the top of the first, but the Vikings tied it in the bottom half of the inning. Harris and Henriques got the rally started with back-to-back singles, and the Vikings later loaded the bases when Tim Kinsella walked. Wisniewski and Joel Birch then drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to tie the game.

The Colonials scored twice in the fifth and added another run in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. Lawrence scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to cut the margin to 5-4. Harris started that rally with a triple, and Henriques followed with a single to drive him in. Henriques later scored when one of the Colonials misplayed a fly ball.

Western Connecticut then sealed the win with seven runs in the final two innings.

Freshman Dan Taylor made the start and pitched into the fourth inning. Eric Bohling took the loss in relief for Lawrence.

 

Big eighth inning rallies Vikings past Olivet

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Lawrence University baseball team rallied for five runs in the eighth inning and posted an 11-9 nonconference victory over Olivet College on Monday.

The Vikings pounded out 16 hits and a pair of pitchers picked up collegiate firsts for Lawrence. Freshman Phil Clark got his first win, and senior Eric Bohling notched his first career save.

Freshman Joel Birch went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs batted in to pace the Lawrence attack. Sam Kossow went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for Lawrence. Gabe Henriques went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, and Darvis PridGeon also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Jake Gordon also picked up a pair of hits for the Vikings.

After Olivet scored a run in the top of the eighth, Lawrence (2-4) trailed 9-6 heading to the bottom half of the inning. PridGeon led off the inning with a single and stole second. After a fielder’s choice left everyone safe, Henriques walked to load the bases. Bohling was then hit by a pitch to drive in PridGeon and cut the lead to 9-7.

A Kossow sacrifice fly then scored Davide Harris to trim the lead to 9-8. After Phil Wisniewski walked to load the bases, a misplayed ground ball scored Henriques to tie the game at 9-9. Birch then smacked a ground-rule double to score two more runs and give Lawrence an 11-9 lead.

Bohling came in to pitch the ninth and worked around a single to record the save. Clark pitched 1.2 innings of relief, allowing one hit and one run, to earn the win.

Lawrence built an early 4-0 lead thanks to a three-run second inning. The Vikings started the inning with three singles in a row, the last one by PridGeon to drive in a run and give Lawrence a 2-0 lead. Henriques singled two hitters later to drive in two more and put the Vikings up 4-0.

Olivet exploded for six runs in the fourth and added single runs in the fifth and sixth to take an 8-4 lead. Lawrence cut that margin in half with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Birch led off with a double, and Gordon followed with a bunt single. A squeeze bunt by PridGeon scored Birch, and Harris followed with a single to score Gordon and cut the lead to 8-6.

Ninth-inning rally lifts Lawrence past Colby

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Lawrence University baseball team scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to edge Colby College 8-7 in a nonconference game Sunday.

The Mules had tied it with a run in the top of the ninth, but Sam Kossow led off the bottom of the ninth with a single for Lawrence (1-4). The Vikings attempted to bunt Kossow over to second, but the Mules were able to get the lead runner out on the play.

Pinch-runner Richie Foreman was at first and a balk moved him to second. Foreman stole third on the next pitch, and Colby intentionally walked Josh Graber and Joel Birch to load the bases. Alex Brewer then hit a grounder to shortstop, and the Mules forced out Birch at second but Brewer was safe at first. Foreman scored on the play to give Lawrence the victory.

Kossow led Lawrence’s 11-hit attack by going 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Birch went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs, and Davide Harris was 2-for-5 with two runs batted in.

Colby built a 6-2 lead through five innings, but Lawrence grabbed the lead with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kossow started the rally with a single, and a Marc Linger walk and Graber single loaded the bases. Birch then smacked a two-run double to cut the lead to 6-4. Darvis PridGeon then grounded out to drive in another run, and Harris followed with a two-run single to give Lawrence a 7-6 lead. 

Brewer pitched the final 1.2 innings to pick up his first collegiate victory for the Vikings. Freshman Davis Ogilvie made the start and went six innings. He allowed eight hits and only two earned runs while striking out five and walking three.