APPLETON, Wis. -- It took two weeks to complete, but the Lawrence University baseball team finally got its doubleheader with Beloit College in.
After the first game was suspended by a snowstorm back on April 9, the teams got back together Monday at Don Hawkins Field. Lawrence (7-16, 2-6 MWC) won the opener 4-3 in 12 innings, and Beloit (12-14, 6-6) held on for a 4-3 win in the nightcap.
The suspended game was resumed with Beloit batting in the top of the 11th. Both teams worked out of jams in the 11th, and then Lawrence rallied in the bottom of the 12th.
Evan Neuens started the inning with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Vikings then loaded the bases with a hit batsman and a walk. Pinch-hitter Ben Webster hit a hard ground ball past the drawn-in infield to score Neuens with the game-winner.
Luke Kostreva pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up his first collegiate victory. Kostreva also pitched all nine innings in the nightcap, allowing 10 hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Beloit jumped on Kostreva in the top of the first and scored two runs on on Jon Moran single and Matt Bartz groundout. Beloit made it 3-0 with a run in the sixth, as Bartz picked up a run-scoring single.
Lawrence cut it to 3-2 in the bottom half of the sixth. Tim O'Toole drove in a run with a single, stole second and went to third when the catcher's throw went into center field. Webster then grounded to second, but the throw was wild, which allowed Webster to reach and O'Toole to score.
Beloit picked up an insurance run in the seventh, and it turned out the Bucs would need it. Brad Hauser started a Lawrence rally in the bottom of the ninth when he was hit by a pitch. Pinch-runner Wes Otte stole second and scored on Hawk Haiduke's single. With the hit and run on, Haiduke stole second as Bryan Rosen struck out, but the catcher's throw again went into center field. Haiduke ended up at third with one out, setting the table for Tommy Schmidt.
Schmidt lined out to center field, but Haiduke was unable to tag up on the play and score. Pinch-hitter Sam Laes was then hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners, but O'Toole grounded out to end the game.
Lawrence returns to action Saturday when it hosts Ripon College at noon at Whiting Field.