Clermont, Florida – The Lawrence University softball team exploded offensively and rode a record-breaking performance in the circle to an 8-3 victory over North Central (Minn.) on Thursday afternoon at Legends Ballpark.

After trading runs early, Lawrence found itself trailing 3-1 through two innings before settling in on both sides of the game. The Vikings chipped away in the third and tied things in the fifth before breaking the game open late.

The turning point came in the sixth inning, when Lawrence capitalized on defensive miscues and timely hitting to plate three runs and take a 6-3 lead. Zoe Doherty delivered a key RBI single, while aggressive baserunning from Anitza Gutierrez helped extend the inning and create separation.

Lawrence added two more runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach, with Lillian Guidry driving in a run on a sacrifice fly and Adrie Villa adding an RBI single to cap the scoring.

At the center of it all was Avery Chilson, who delivered a dominant outing in the circle. Chilson struck out a program-record 15 batters in a complete-game performance, allowing just three hits and three runs while keeping North Central off balance all afternoon.

Offensively, the Vikings racked up 11 hits and were led by Zoe Doherty, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Gutierrez was a constant presence on the bases, scoring four runs and swiping five stolen bases, while Gillian Guerriero drove in two runs. Sajel Stewart-Verna and Kylan Arndt each added multi-hit efforts as part of a balanced attack.

Lawrence improves to 7-9 on the season with the win.