APPLETON, Wis. -- Lawrence University pitcher
Michael Duttlinger put the team on his back Friday afternoon at Whiting Field, and placed the Vikings firmly in the driver's seat at the Midwest Conference Tournament.
  Duttlinger tossed a complete game in Lawrence's 6-1 victory over the University of Chicago, and the Vikings are now in the tournament championship game on Saturday. Lawrence awaits the winner of Saturday morning's elimination game between Chicago (22-15) and Ripon College. Lawrence (25-11) needs one win Saturday to claim the title and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament while their opponent will have to beat the Vikings twice in the double-elimination format.
  Duttlinger had a shutout going until the ninth and had allowed only four hits through the first eight frames. Duttlinger struck out two and didn't walk a batter to improve to 4-1 on the season.Â
  The Vikings needed the shutdown effort from Duttlinger because Chicago starter Dylan White held Lawrence scoreless for five innings. White gave way to reliever Ethan Docter in the sixth, and the Vikings went to work.
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Taylor Freeman got things started with one-out single, and an error on
Preston Anderson's ground ball put the Vikings in business.
Spenser Ross smash went off the glove of Docter and the bases were loaded.
Mitchell Sandleback was then hit by a pitch to send Freeman home and Lawrence led 1-0.
  After a strikeout,
Jeffery Cambra singled through the right side to score Ross and Anderson for a 3-0 edge. After
Zach Leslie walked,
Jacob Charon singled to left to score two more for a 5-0 edge.
Edan Perez's single then scored Leslie, and the Vikings led 6-0.
  Duttlinger was the middle of retiring 10 Chicago batters in a row, and the Maroons didn't score until the ninth. Chicago had three hits in the frame, but Duttlinger got a flyout and a ground ball back to himself to close out the contest.
  The Vikings had 10 hits on the afternoon as Perez and Freeman both went 2-for-4. Cambra and Charon both drove in a pair of runs for the Vikings.Â
