The Lawrence University baseball team won two of its four games against Beloit this past weekend, and now needs to sweep St. Norbert in its four games this week in order to advance to the MWC Tournament. The Green Knights are three games ahead of the Vikings, so a single St. Norbert victory would see them join Ripon representing the Northern Division in the MWC Tournament next weekend against the Southern Division winner.The first game last weekend at Beloit saw Aaron Sorenson pitching a gem, to give the Vikings the 4-3 win. Sorenson gave up three runs and only two hits over seven innings while striking out six Buccaneers. The Vikings offense came from the bat of Anthony Kouba, who was 2-3 with a run scored and two RBIs.
In the second game it was all Beloit. B.J. Chase started the game for the Vikings and only lasted four-and-a-third innings before getting chased. The Buccaneers would win 10-0. Beloit pitcher Alex Prat picked up his first win of the season by pitching a one-hitter. The only Vikings hit was once again scored by Kouba.
In the second doubleheader at LU, Beloit kept the bats going in an 11-2 win. R.J. Rosenthal gave up 11 runs in four-and-a-third innings to take the loss. The Vikings lone two runs came in the bottom of the seventh inning, on a Billy Bodle single and an error by Beloit.
The fourth and final game was critical for the Vikings. A loss and they would be all but eliminated from the chance at a playoff spot. The Vikings bucked up, and got a masterful nine-inning shut out by Josh Ritchie to take a 2-0 win and stay alive for the final tournament spot. Ritchie struck out 11 and gave up only five hits in the win. The Vikings’ two runs were scored by a Kouba RBI single, and an Andrew Wong RBI single.
The Vikings need to take all four games from the Green Knights this weekend to advance to the MWC Tournament. The first two games will be at St. Norbert, and the last two will be played at Miller Park in Milwaukee tomorrow. Parking and admission is free. The first game will start at 1, and the second will follow immediately. The Vikings’ chances will not be good against the Green Knights; LU took one of four games from St. Norbert last season, and lost all four in 2002.