PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Lawrence University baseball team opened its season on Saturday with a pair of losses to Oberlin College.
Oberlin defeated the Vikings 9-2 and 10-7. The second game was called in the top of the seventh due to darkness.
In the opener, Oberlin starter Jack Dunn limited Lawrence to one run on only four hits in six innings. He struck out 13 and walked three.
Lawrence led 1-0 after Robert Rashid's run-scoring single in the top of the first. Oberlin tied it in the bottom of the third against Lawrence starter Frank Forseth and then took the lead for good with four runs in the fourth. Ryan Mouch and Shane Hisner both had run-scoring doubles in the fourth for Oberlin.
Oberlin put the game away with three more runs in the fifth on only one hit. The Vikings issued three walks, made an error, and uncorked a wild pitch in the inning.
In the nightcap, the Vikings had to battle back after Oberlin scored five times in the top of the first against Lawrence starter Luke Kostreva. Lawrence got run-scoring doubles from Tim Salm and Robert Rashid in the bottom of the first to trim the lead to 5-2.
The Vikings then took the lead with four runs in bottom of the second, as Salm belted a three-run double. Rashid followed with a run-scoring single to give Lawrence a 6-5 edge. Oberlin tied the game in the top of the third and then took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fifth.
Oberlin added a run in the top of the sixth to go up 10-6 before Lawrence got a run back in the bottom half of the inning.
Salm went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBIs in the second game, and Rashid with 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Doug McEneaney also had a pair of hits for the Vikings.