Appleton, Wis. — Beloit used early offense to take control and held off Lawrence late, handing the Vikings a 4-1 loss at Whiting Field on Saturday. 

Beloit struck quickly, opening the game with a solo home run in the first inning before adding two more runs in the second to build a 3-0 advantage. The Buccaneers extended the lead to 4-0 in the fourth on an RBI double.

Lawrence broke through in the fifth inning when Nathan Depew launched a solo home run to left center, trimming the deficit to 4-1. Depew accounted for the Vikings' lone run on the afternoon and continued to be a key offensive spark.

The Vikings put together chances throughout the game, collecting seven hits, including multi-hit efforts from CJ Filipekand Ben Gutowski, but were unable to string together timely hits. Lawrence left nine runners on base, including a bases-loaded opportunity in the ninth inning.

On the mound, Conner Robertson worked six innings, allowing four runs while striking out five. Liam Shackleton and Nick Katz combined for three scoreless innings in relief to keep Lawrence within striking distance.