RIPON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University baseball team dropped the opening two games of the Midwest Conference season on Thursday with 8-0 and 8-3 losses at Ripon College.
In the opener, Nick Beamon went 4-for-5 with a pair of homers and four runs batted in to pace Ripon (10-3, 2-0 MWC). Matt Dwyer went the distance, allowing four hits while striking out five and walking five.
Andy Frelich took the loss for the Vikings, who committed six errors and got a pair of hits from T.J. Frett. Ripon got single runs in each of the first three innings, added another run in the fifth, and Beamon belted a three-run homer in the sixth.
Lawrence (3-7, 0-2) grabbed a 3-1 lead in the nightcap. After trailing 1-0, Lawrence tied the game in the third on a manufactured run. Robert Rashid singled, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an error by the shortstop.
The Vikings took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. Ben Webster and Andy Bremberger both singled to put runners at first and second with one out. After a fielder's choice forced Webster at third, Hawk Haiduke singled to score Bremberger. Haiduke then stole second, and Mac Shumann's throw was wild, which allowed Ray Tucker to score from third.
Lawrence held that lead until starter Alex Fritsch gave up a solo homer to Shumann in the bottom of the seventh that tied the game at 3-3. Fritsch allowed only four hits over seven innings, struck out three and walked five.
Freshman Andy Wilt came on in relief in the eighth, and the Red Hawks broke the game open with five runs. The big blow was another three-run homer by Beamon.
Mike Lloyd pitched eight innings to pick up the win, and Wilt took the loss.
Rashid, Webster, Wes Otte, and Tim Salm all had two hits for Lawrence in the nightcap.