BELOIT, Wis.  -- The Lawrence University softball team rode the shutout pitching of Avery Chilson on Saturday to clinch its first berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament in a decade.
    Chilson tossed a three-hit shutout in Lawrence's 4-0 victory in the opener at Beloit College, and that clinched a spot in the tournament for the first time since 2015. Beloit won the second game 4-1 at the Strong Complex Softball Field.
    Under first-year head Korey Krueger, the Vikings finished the regular season with a 19-19 record and a 10-6 mark in the conference. Lawrence, which won just five games two seasons ago, will be the third seed in the tournament, which is set for May 9-10.
    In the first game, Chilson allowed just three hits over seven innings as she handcuffed the Bucs (10-30, 8-8), who didn't advance a runner past second base. Chilson struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter. 
    Jordan Wallin-Swanson and Kourtney Mercer both went 2-for-3 for the Vikings, and Gillian Guerriero drove in a pair of runs. Janessa Gonzalez and Taylor Hughes also doubled for Lawrence.
    Lawrence grabbed the lead in the third inning when Zoe Doherty reached on a bunt single and stole second. Mattigan Haller followed with a walk to put two runners aboard. Gonzalez doubled to score Doherty, and Wallin-Swanson followed with a single to score Haller for a 2-0 lead. 
    The score stayed that way until the sixth when Hughes doubled and Mercer singled to start a rally. Guerriero then doubled to score both runners, and Lawrence led 4-0.
    That was more than enough of a cushion for Chilson, who retired the last 10 Beloit batters in order.
    In the second game, two Beloit pitchers scattered seven hits and allowed just one Lawrence run. Doherty went 2-for-4 to pace the Vikings.
    Lawrence got its only run in the fifth inning when Mercer doubled, and pinch-runner Anna Whiteside scored on Kylan Arndt's single. Beloit scored once in the third, twice in fourth and once in the fifth against Lawrence starter Georgia Sedlack.