BELOIT, Wis. -- The Lawrence University baseball team took game two of Thursday's Midwest Conference doubleheader at the Strong Stadium Complex after nearly rallying for a victory in the opener against Beloit College.
The Vikings took a 5-2 victory in the nightcap after Beloit won the first game 13-11.
Aaron Leitner scattered 10 hits over seven innings to pick up the win for Lawrence (12-12, 5-5 MWC) in the second game. Frank Forseth tossed two innings of scoreless relief for his third save of the season.
Wes Otte and Hawk Haiduke had run-scoring singles in the first and second innings, respectively, to stake Lawrence to a 2-1 lead. The Vikings pulled out to a 5-1 lead with three runs in the fifth. Jordan Clark had a run-scoring single, and Nick Pedretti belted a two-run double to cap the rally.
Haiduke went 3-for-4 to pace the Lawrence offense, and Clark and Robert Rashid both had two hits in the nightcap.
Beloit (21-6, 8-4) blew out to a 13-1 lead in the opener but then had to hang on for the win.
The Vikings scored four times in the sixth to cut the lead to 13-5. Forseth had a two-run single, and Haiduke added a run-scoring double in the inning.
Lawrence added two more runs in the eighth on a run-scoring double by Haiduke and Clark's RBI single.
The Vikings then scored four more times in the ninth before Jake Majeski came in to get final out. Luke Kostreva had a two-run single to cut the lead to 13-9, and Eric Bohling drove in a run with a groundout. Ray Tucker then singled and Kostreva scored on the play to trim the margin to 13-11.
With the tying run at the plate, Majeski got Clark to ground out to end the game.
Rashid, Otte, Forseth, Bohling, and Haiduke all had two hits for the Vikings in the opener.
The teams wrap up their four-game series Saturday at Don Hawkins Field.