GRINNELL, Iowa -- Offense has powered the Lawrence University baseball team in recent weeks, but it was pitching that led the Vikings to a Midwest Conference doubleheader sweep on Saturday at Pioneer Park. 
    The Vikings took game one 5-1 and won the nightcap 4-1 to also sweep the three-game series. Lawrence ran its win streak to nine games.
    In the opener, Nick Katz and Brandon Brust limited Grinnell to one run on six hits. Katz made the start and went six innings. He allowed four hits, struck out seven and didn't walk a batter to improve to 5-1. Brust earned his third save of the season by allowing just two hits, while striking out two and walking two over the final three innings.
    Edan Perez led the Lawrence offense by going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in. Zach Leslie picked up a multi-hit game by going 2-for-4 for the Vikings (17-6, 9-0 MWC). Lead-off hitter Taylor Freeman scored three runs and swiped three bases for Lawrence.
    The Vikings jumped on top in the bottom of the first when Perez got things going with a two-out single. He scored on Jacob Charon's single for a 1-0 lead.
    Freeman started a rally in the third when he singled, stole second and scored on Perez's double for a 2-0 edge. Lawrence tacked on another run in the fifth, and it was Freeman who got things started again. He walked, stole second and third and scored on a Perez sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
    Freeman started another rally in the seventh when he was hit by a pitch, and Parker Knoll followed with a walk. After an out, Charon walked to load the bases. William Zatkowski bounced into a fielder's choice to score Freeman, but an error on the play also allowed Knoll to score for a 5-0 advantage.
    Lawrence got another strong start in game two when Elden Santana allowed only four hits and one run over five innings to get the win. Santana struck out six and walked three to improve to 3-1. Cam Ruth then tossed three innings of scoreless relief, striking out four and walking two. Connor Robertson overcame two errors in the ninth to pick up his first career save. 
    The Vikings won despite collecting just three hits in the second game. 
    Lawrence trailed 1-0 heading to the bottom of the third, but William Polanco led off the inning with an infield single. After a pair of strikeouts, Knoll walked. Perez reached an error by the right fielder and both runners scored for a 2-1 lead. Charon followed with a double to score Perez, and Lawrence led 3-1.
    Leslie then belted a solo homer, his first of the season, in the fourth to give the Vikings a 4-1 lead.
    Lawrence worked out of a couple of jams to keep Grinnell (9-13, 2-4) off the board the rest of the way. In the ninth, Nikolas Ruden reached on an error, but Zatkowski cut him down trying to steal third. After Mac McCain reached on an error with two outs, Robertson picked him off at first to end the contest.
    Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday when the Vikings host Ripon College in a doubleheader at Don Hawkins Field.