Davenport, Florida – The Lawrence University baseball team battled back with a big inning but ultimately fell to Middlebury 16-6 on Tuesday morning at Northeast Regional Park.

Middlebury jumped on the Vikings early, plating runs in each of the first three innings to build a 6-0 advantage. Lawrence struggled to generate offense early, managing just two hits through the first four innings while working against Middlebury starter A. Faust.

Lawrence broke through in the fourth inning when Sage Beebe-Jenny reached on an error, allowing Myles Brincks to score and put the Vikings on the board. The momentum carried into the fifth inning, where Lawrence delivered its best stretch of the game.

The Vikings erupted for five runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 9-6. Dylan Keelan sparked the rally with a double, and Lawrence capitalized on multiple Middlebury errors. Nathan Depew and Dyson Sharpton each drove in runs on groundouts, while AJ Desantiago and Ben Gutowski added RBI plays as the Vikings took advantage of defensive miscues to climb back into the contest.

However, Middlebury responded immediately and decisively. The Panthers answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a three-run home run, and continued to add insurance runs in the sixth to pull away for good.

Myles Brincks led Lawrence offensively with two runs scored and an RBI, while Dylan Keelan added a double and scored during the fifth-inning rally. Ben Gutowski and Nathan Depew also contributed RBIs as part of the Vikings' six-run output.

On the mound, Lawrence used five pitchers in the game, with Ethan Sitter taking the loss. The Vikings staff combined for seven strikeouts but were hurt by Middlebury's 21-hit performance.