Galesburg, Illinois — Lawrence baseball came out swinging and never backed down, sweeping Knox in a doubleheader that featured explosive innings, relentless pressure at the plate, and a statement comeback to cap the day.

The Vikings grabbed control in game one with a 10-2 win, using a balanced attack and a dominant late surge. After building a narrow lead through the middle innings, Lawrence broke things wide open in the seventh. A two-run blast from CJ Filipek sparked a four-run inning, and the momentum carried right into the eighth, where the Vikings piled on four more to put the game away for good.

Filipek led the way with three RBIs and set the tone for a lineup that stayed aggressive all afternoon. William Zatkowski added a two-run homer and came through in big spots, while Sage Beebe-Jenny and Ben Gutowski kept traffic on the bases and forced Knox to defend every pitch. Dylan Keelan and AJ Desantiago chipped in key RBIs as Lawrence turned opportunities into runs consistently.

On the mound, Lawrence got exactly what it needed. Nathan Zumbrunnen took over and stabilized the game with four strong innings, striking out six and limiting Knox's chances to build momentum. Max Huddleston closed it out cleanly as the Vikings locked in the opener. 

Game 2  was a completely different fight — and Lawrence matched it every step of the way.

In a back-and-forth slugfest, both teams traded big innings, and Knox carried a 13-11 lead into the ninth. But Lawrence never flinched. The Vikings came to the plate in the final frame and delivered one of their biggest moments of the season.

Sage Beebe-Jenny got things rolling and continued a huge game at the plate, finishing with four hits and three RBIs. With runners on, CJ Filipek stepped in again and delivered — launching a go-ahead two-run homer that flipped the game in an instant. AJ Desantiago followed with another clutch RBI to extend the lead and give Lawrence breathing room.

The offense was relentless from top to bottom. Ben Gutowski added three hits and two RBIs, Boris Christensen drove in three runs, and the Vikings totaled 18 hits in the win. Every time Knox responded, Lawrence answered — and when the moment demanded it late, the Vikings delivered the final punch to secure the sweep.