The Lawrence University softball team had a great weekend this last weekend in Janesville, Wis. The Vikings went 4-1 at the Midwest Classic, dropping only their game to perennial power Lake Forest. The Vikings made up ground in the MWC standings as well.In the first game, the Vikings defeated Grinnell 6-1. Lauren Kost pitched five innings for the victory, allowing only three hits and one run. Pam Schimanski threw two hitless innings as well. The Vikings offense came in the second inning as they scored three of their six runs. RBI singles by Mo Batog and Becca Reason, who went 3-4, gave Kost all the runs she needed.
The second game was a pitchers’ duel between Lauren Kost and Kris Bjork of Knox. Kost got the best of Bjork, and the Vikings won 1-0. Kost would give up four hits and strike out eight in all seven innings. The only run of the game came when Jenny Burris singled, stole second, and advanced on two ground outs to give the Vikings the only run they would need.
The third game had the Vikings defeating Illinois College 7-4. Schimanski picked up the win for the Vikings in this one. The Vikings scored four in the second, led by an RBI single by Shannon Arendt, and a two-RBI single by Ashley Eaton. The icing on the cake was in the sixth, when Arendt scored on a Burris double, and Burris would score on a sac fly and a wild pitch.
The fourth game was the Vikings first loss of the Classic. Lake Forest overran the Vikings 4-0. The Vikings couldn’t get any offense started, and Lake Forest took advantage of two LU errors to score three unearned runs. Kost picked up the loss for LU.
The fifth and final game had LU playing Monmouth. It was another pitchers’ duel, and Kost rebounded from the Lake Forest game to go all seven innings, allowing only five hits and one run, and LU won 2-1. The Vikings scored both runs in the top of the sixth, when Burris singled in both Reason and Arendt to give the Vikings the lead for good.
The Vikings record is now 14-13 on the year and they are 5-4 in the MWC. The Vikings are in action on Saturday with a crucial series at home against Beloit.