The Highlights

Scores, news and more from Lawrence University Athletics

Nine-run inning helps Vikings to doubleheader split with Knox

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team exploded for nine runs in the sixth inning of the second game and went on to a win and a nonconference doubleheader split with Knox College on Saturday at Whiting Field.

Lawrence (9-19) rode the nine-run inning to a 12-1 victory in the nightcap after Knox (17-9) took the opener 12-6.

Davide Harris went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs for Lawrence in the nightcap. Freshman Tom Olson had a big bases-loaded, three-run triple, and Davis Ogilvie belted a two-run homer for the Vikings.

Ogilvie, Aaron Benz, and Jake Gordon all had two hits, and Gordon drove in a pair of runs.

Phil Clark went the distance to get the win for the Vikings. He allowed eight hits, struck out three and walked one. Jeremy Gogoel took the loss in relief for Knox.

The score was tied 1-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth when Ogilvie and Tanner DeBettencourt hit one-out singles. Gordon followed with a squeeze bunt single to score Ogilvie and break the tie. After a fly out, a catcher’s interference loaded the bases. Olson then belted the first pitch into the gap in right field to score all three runners and give Lawrence a 5-1 lead.

Harris, Gabe Henriques and Benz all followed with run-scoring singles and the Vikings were up 8-1. Ogilvie then blasted a two-run homer, his second of the season, to put the Vikings up 10-1.

Lawrence then won the game via the 10-run rule when Harris smacked a two-run double in the seventh.

In the opener, Knox jumped on starter Atley Gay early and led 9-1 after the top of the fourth. Lawrence countered with two runs in the fourth, two more in the sixth and another run in the seventh to cut the lead to 9-6. Knox tacked on three more runs in the top of the eighth to seal the victory.

Jackson White went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two runs batted in to pace Knox in the opener. Ryan Hoffman had two hits, including a three-run homer, and drove in five runs.

Benz and Gabe Warshaw both had three hits for the Vikings, and Henriques and Gordon had two hits apiece.

Lawrence returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Marian University in a nonconference doubleheader.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Vikings fall to Grinnell in MWC championship match

MADISON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team fell to Grinnell College 5-0 in the Midwest Conference Tournament championship match on Friday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Lawrence, in search of its first conference championship since 1968, dropped all three doubles matches, and Grinnell closed out the victory with wins at Nos. 4 and 6 singles. Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference is its best since taking second in 2003.

The Vikings earned a berth in the title match by beating Monmouth College 5-3 in the MWC Tournament semifinals on Friday morning. The Vikings trailed 2-1 after the doubles with Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte picking up the lone win for Lawrence.

Lawrence rebounded to win four of the six singles matches as the bottom half of the lineup dominated the Scots. Sherwood won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 4 and DeCorte was a 6-0, 6-4 winner at No. 5. Jeremy Andereck picked up a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6 for Lawrence. Cooper Smith completed the singles victories for Lawrence with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1.

Lawrence tops Monmouth to reach conference championship match

MADISON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team will play for the Midwest Conference championship on Friday afternoon.

Lawrence (14-6) beat Monmouth College 5-3 in the MWC Tournament semifinals on Friday morning at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Lawrence will play defending conference champion Grinnell College at 1:30 p.m. Friday for the league title.

The Vikings trailed 2-1 after the doubles with Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte picking up the lone win for Lawrence.

Lawrence rebounded to win four of the six singles matches as the bottom half of the lineup dominated the Scots. Sherwood won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 4 and DeCorte was a 6-0, 6-4 winner at No. 5. Jeremy Andereck picked up a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6 for Lawrence. Cooper Smith completed the singles victories for Lawrence with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1.

Lawrence is in search of its first conference championship since 1968.

Box score

Lawrence rolls to pair of shutout wins over Mount Mary

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University softball team rolled to a pair of shutout victories in a nonconference doubleheader with Mount Mary College on Thursday at Whiting Field.

The Vikings (15-13) won the opener 27-0 and took the nightcap 8-0. Lawrence broke the school record of 25 runs scored in a game, which was set against Ripon College back in 1992.

In the opener, the Vikings racked up 16 hits and took advantage of 13 walks and six Mount Mary (0-10) errors. Lawrence scored eight runs in the first inning, tacked on 10 more in the second and scored seven more times in the third to stretch the lead to 25-0.

Cathy Kaye, Mary Diduch, Alex Chiodo, Alissa Geipel and Cory Paquette all had two hits in the opener for Lawrence. Kaye, who had two doubles, Paquette, Taylor Dodson and Jessica Demski all drove in three runs.

Demski also picked up her first collegiate win by throwing four innings of one-hit relief. Kara Vance, who threw the first inning, and Demski allowed only two hits to the Blue Angels. Katie Edwards took the loss for Mount Mary.

In the nightcap, Liz Barthels tossed a one-hitter to pick up her first victory of the season. Barthels, who allowed a two-out single in the fourth, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.

Lawrence broke a scoreless tie by scoring three times in the third inning, and the Vikings pulled away with three more runs in the third. The Vikings ended the game on the run rule by adding single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Savanna Marsicek, Diduch, Lisa Featherly and Barthels paced Lawrence’s 12-hit attack with two hits apiece. Featherly also drove in a pair of runs.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Lawrence posts doubleheader split with Lumberjacks

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team got a great pitching performance in game one and then saw Northland College rally late in game two as the Vikings split a nonconference doubleheader on Thursday at Whiting Field.

Lawrence (8-18) won the opener 4-2, and Northland (8-9) took the nightcap 10-5.

In the opener, Alex Brewer went the distance to get the victory for the Vikings. He allowed only four hits, struck out four and walked two. Dan Romano went the distance and allowed 13 hits for the Lumberjacks.

Davide Harris, Aaron Benz, Tanner DeBettencourt, Davis Ogilvie and Richie Foreman all had two hits for Lawrence in the opening game. Ogilvie also drove in a pair of runs.

Lawrence took a 2-0 lead in the second on Ogilvie’s two-run double, but Northland tied it with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Lawrence took the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning when Harris doubled and scored on Benz’s single.

The Vikings added an insurance run in the eighth when Foreman singled and later scored on Jake Gordon’s groundout.

In the nightcap, the Vikings built a 5-2 lead heading to the top of the eighth. Lawrence starter Drew Doares gave up a pair of hits and a walk to start the eighth and was lifted in favor of John Doran with the Vikings ahead 5-3.

Doran struck out Romano but then walked the next three batters to force in a pair of runs and tie the game. Dan Salzbrenner came in for Lawrence but gave up two more hits and Northland led 8-5. The Lumberjacks added two more insurance runs in the ninth.

Peter Aerts, Nathan Brown and Travis Hendrickson all had three hits for Northland. Dan Taylor and Harris also collected three hits apiece for Lawrence, which had a 14-13 edge in hits.

Brandon Bodart went seven innings and allowed 12 hits but picked up the win. Doran took the loss.

Lawrence returns to action when it hosts Knox College on Saturday at Whiting Field.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Macalester to join Midwest Conference football ranks

RIPON, Wis. — The Midwest Conference will expand its football footprint with the addition of Macalester College as an affiliate member for the 2014 season.

The addition of Macalester for football gives the Midwest Conference 12 schools for that sport. The league will split into North and South divisions and feature a conference championship game.

Schedules will consist of two non-conference games, two cross-divisional games and five divisional games. The North and South division winners will meet in a championship game to determine who ears the automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs while all other teams will play their divisional counterpart within the standings.

Macalester has played as a Division III football independent for the past 11 years since leaving the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in 2002.  Macalester will remain an MIAC conference member in all other sports that the conference sponsors.

Read the full press release from the Midwest Conference

 

Missed opportunities cost Lawrence in doubleheader sweep by Northland

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team failed to cash in on numerous scoring opportunities on Wednesday, and Northland College posted a nonconference doubleheader sweep of the Vikings.

Northland (7-8) won the opener 9-5 and rallied to take the nightcap 8-4.

In the opener, Lawrence (7-17) had 11 hits but committed five errors and left 14 runners on base. The Vikings left the bases loaded in the sixth and managed only one run in both the seventh and eighth after loading the bases in each frame with no outs.

Both Jake Gordon and Sam Kossow had three hits in the opener for Lawrence, and Gabe Henriques had two hits and drove in two runs.

Colin Moberly pitched seven innings for Northland to pick up the win. He allowed nine hits, struck out six and walked four. Lawrence’s Kelton Jenkins went 6.2 innings and allowed nine hits but only two of the eight runs he gave up were earned.

Travis Hendrickson went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a triple and drove in three runs to pace the Lumberjacks. Northland trailed 3-1 heading to the fifth but scored three times in that inning and sealed the win with four runs in the seventh.

In the nightcap, Lawrence had a 13-12 edge in hits, but the Vikings left 12 runners on base. Davide Harris and Davis Ogilvie both went 3-for-5 for Lawrence, and Henriques and Aaron Benz both added two hits.

Lawrence jumped out to a 4-1 edge after two innings, but Northland countered with a run in the third and another in the sixth to cut the margin to 4-3. The Lumberjacks then scored four times in the seventh to pull away. Lawrence had plenty of scoring chances late but left eight runners on in the final five innings.

AJ Verhage went 7.2 innings to get the win for Northland. He allowed 12 hits, struck out two and walked four. Dan Taylor went 6.2 innings and took the loss for the Vikings.

Moberly went 3-for-5 with a homer and three runs batted in to pace Northland.

The teams are scheduled for another doubleheader on Thursday at Whiting Field.

Game one box score

Game two box score

Green Knights take two from Lawrence

APPLETON, Wis. — The St. Norbert College softball team got a pair of solid pitching performances and went on to a Midwest Conference doubleheader sweep of Lawrence University on Tuesday at Whiting Field.

The Green Knights (15-11, 6-2 MWC) won the opener 4-1 and took the nightcap 5-1.

In the first game, Shannen Schmidt went the distance and allowed only five hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.

St. Norbert got solo homers from Morgan Buboltz and Jessica DeMeuse, and Steph Brunette went 3-for-4 and scored a run in the opener.

Shannon Murray went the distance and took the loss for Lawrence (13-13, 3-7). She allowed eight hits, struck out three and walked two. Cathy Kaye had two hits for the Vikings.

In the nightcap, Morgan Rusch worked out of several jams and pitched all seven innings for St. Norbert. She allowed seven hits, struck out two and walked five. Murray went the distance again and gave up 10 hits, struck out one and walked two.

Emily Laufer went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for St. Norbert. Brunette and Samantha Gross both had two hits for the Green Knights. Tierney Duffy had a pair of hits to pace the Vikings.

Lawrence returns to action on Thursday when it hosts Mount Mary College in a nonconference doubleheader.

Game one box score

Game two box score 

Hockey conference takes on new name, different look

APPLETON, Wis. — The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association will take on a new look and a new name as it embarks on the next chapter in its history.

Dr. G. Steven Larson, commissioner of the league, has announced a new era for the conference, complete with a new name and representation of both women’s and men’s teams under one association.

The MCHA has continued to expand, announcing last summer that both St. Norbert College and The College of St. Scholastica will be joining the league for the 2013-14 campaign. That new era will embark with a new league name, as the MCHA will officially be moving forward as the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.

“We are very pleased to announce these changes as we are moving into the transitional phases of our women’s and men’s conferences,” Larson said. “It was very important for us to respect and recognize the traditions of both associations while simultaneously moving forward with a new perspective to reflect the changes that have taken place. Needless to say, this is a very exciting period of progression for member institutions and our hockey programs.”

Read the full press release from the MCHA