The Highlights

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

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The University of Chicago baseball team rallied for four runs in the fifth inning Saturday to take the lead and went on to an 8-3 nonconference victory over Lawrence University.

Chicago (1-0) grabbed a 5-2 lead after five innings and then added three more runs in the sixth to take control.

Nicholas Toomey went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs for Chicago. Brenton Villasenor allowed two runs over five innings to get the win.

Kyle Duex made the start for Lawrence and allowed eight runs, only three earned, in 5.2 innings and took the loss.

Ryan Krob delivered the key blow in the fifth inning with a three-run double to put Chicago up 4-2. He later scored on a ground out for a 5-2 edge.

Toomey then belted a two-run double to key a three-run sixth inning as the Maroons grabbed an 8-2 edge.

The Vikings grabbed a 2-1 lead with single runs in the third and fourth. Rudy Mueller-Schrader reached on an infield single in the third and later scored on Reno Zemrak’s ground out. The Vikings manufactured a run in the fourth when Matt Holliday reached on an error and later scored on Mueller-Schrader’s sacrifice fly.

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — Don’t be fooled by the Lawrence University baseball roster and its 20 players. While the contingent is small, these Vikings are talented, versatile and can really swing the lumber.

The Vikings return seven position starters and four experienced pitchers from a season ago. Lawrence opens its season with four games this weekend on the turf in Jacksonville, Ill.

“We’re athletic and we can hit,” said Lawrence coach Jason Anderson, who was quick to praise his team’s attitude and work ethic. “Our leadership from our captains (Brandon Klar, Kyle Duex, Travis Weber) has been unbelievable. We’re in great shape. We’re focused. We’re excited to be at the ballpark. Frankly, this is one of the more fun groups I’ve coached, and we haven’t played a game yet.”

Lawrence returners are paced by junior Matt Holliday and sophomore Nolan Spencer, both 2016 All-Midwest Conference selections. Holliday, who will start at first when he’s not pitching, hit .412 last season with seven doubles, a triple, two homers and 17 runs batted in. He also went 4-1 on the hill with a 3.56 earned run average.

“Holliday has a chance to be one of the best hitters ever here,” Anderson said. “I expect him to keep doing his thing. He looks the same, if not better, going into this season.”

Spencer hit a team-high .413 last season with three doubles, two triples, 21 runs scored, 15 RBIs and 16 stolen bases while playing shortstop. He was the first Lawrence freshman to lead the team in hitting and bat .400 since Chris LeFever hit .400 in 1990.

Other starters back from a team that hit .302 last season are catcher Travis Weber (.336 BA, 24 RBIs), outfielder/pitcher Zach Rabideau (.337, 13 RBIs), center fielder Andrew Lauber (.331, 29 RBIs), utility man Anthony Ortiz (.243, 11 RBIs) and second baseman Brandon Klar (.216). Add to the mix junior first baseman Cole Erickson (.284, 14 RBIs), who started 20 games a season ago.

“This team can hit, for sure,” Anderson said. “We’re pretty athletic. We will be able to run the bases pretty well. We’ll see if we can make the routine play and lower the number of walks we give up.”

In that group of starters, only Klar is a senior.

“We are very experienced even though we are very young. The majority of guys who are going to play are juniors and sophomores,” Anderson said.

Spencer and Lauber were sensational as rookies, and Anderson believes this group of freshmen is just as gifted. Catchers Tony Caputa, Ethan Jones and Patrick McDonnell, first baseman Rudy Mueller-Schrader, infielder Mike Brady and utility man Reno Zemrak are all freshmen who could have an immediate impact.

“This could be one of the most talented freshmen classes I’ve had,” Anderson said.

The pitching staff is led by Holliday and juniors Kyle Duex, who had a breakout season in 2016, Rabideau and Craig Batchelor. Duex, who won a pair of games last season, is strictly a pitcher this spring after catching in his first two seasons.

Brady and another newcomer, Brad Olson, will vie for starting roles, and rookies Caputa and Jones figure to be key contributors in the bullpen.

“Even though we only have 20 guys on the roster, we have 14 pitchers,” Anderson said.