Appleton, Wisconsin – Lawrence split a doubleheader with Monmouth (Ill.) on Saturday at Whiting Field, dropping a tightly contested opener before bouncing back with a 5-3 win in game two.
Game 1 – Monmouth (Ill.) 7, Lawrence 6
Lawrence battled throughout in the opener but came up just short in a back-and-forth game that wasn't decided until the final inning.
The Vikings struck first in the fourth inning, as William Zatkowski delivered an RBI single to put Lawrence on the board. After falling behind, Lawrence responded in the sixth inning with a surge of offense, highlighted by a two-run home run from Zatkowski and a solo home run from Nathan Depew to take a 4-3 lead.
Monmouth answered with a three-run seventh to swing momentum back in its favor, but Lawrence refused to back down. The Vikings answered in the bottom half of the inning, as CJ Filipek and Zatkowski delivered RBI doubles to even the score at 6-6 and keep the pressure on.
The Fighting Scots pushed across the go-ahead run in the ninth, and Lawrence was unable to respond in its final at-bat.
Zatkowski led the offensive effort with three hits and four RBIs, while Depew added a home run and an RBI. Dylan Keelan scored twice, and Steven Baudendistel reached base multiple times to help pace the lineup.
Game 2 – Lawrence 5, Monmouth (Ill.) 3
Lawrence responded in game two with a complete performance, using timely hitting and strong pitching to secure the split.
The Vikings broke through in the third inning, stringing together quality at-bats to score three runs. Sage Beebe-Jenny and CJ Filipek each drove in runs during the rally to give Lawrence an early advantage.
After Monmouth trimmed the lead, Lawrence answered with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to maintain control. The Vikings continued to put pressure on the defense throughout, finishing with 13 hits as part of a balanced offensive attack.
Beebe-Jenny led the way with two hits and two runs scored, while Filipek added two hits and two RBIs. AJ Desantiago and William Zatkowski each contributed multi-hit performances as Lawrence consistently found ways to extend innings.
On the mound, Ari Smolar-Eisenberg delivered a strong start, working seven innings while allowing three runs and striking out six to earn the win. Liam Shackleton closed the door with two scoreless innings, striking out four to secure the save and seal the victory.
