APPLETON, Wis. -- Alex Goodson tied the Lawrence University season home run
record, and her sixth-inning double lifted the Vikings to a nonconference doubleheader
sweep of Finlandia University on Sunday at Whiting Field. Lawrence won the opener
4-3 and rallied to win the nightcap 6-5.
Goodson now has six homers on the season, tying the record set by Tracie Spangenberg back in 1987. She drove in three runs on the afternoon, which gives her 35 for the season, just three shy of breaking Jenny Batog's record of 37.
Catherine Marinac picked up both victories for the Vikings to improve to 11-5 on the season. She tossed a complete game in the opener and then pitched two innings of scoreless relief in the nightcap.
In the opening game, Lawrence (13-6) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings. The Vikings scored three times in the second, with Goodson providing a key run-scoring single in that inning.
The Lions (19-7) chipped away with single runs in the third, fifth, and sixth, but Marinac retired the side in order in the seventh to secure the win. Marinac struck out seven and walked one in the opener.
Finlandia jumped on Lawrence starter Meredith Foshag in the opening inning of the nightcap. The Lions scored four times, as Jamie Bellinger and Ashely Leitch both had two-run singles in the inning.
Lawrence cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first and got help from a big throwing error from starting pitcher Jen VanOverloop. With two outs and Toren Johnson at first, Goodson grounded sharply back to the mound, but VanOverloop threw the ball down the right field line. Johnson scored on the play and Goodson ended up at second. Amanda Hauser followed with a single to score Goodson and cut the lead to 4-2.
The Vikings were down 5-2 in the third when Hauser picked up a one-out single. Megan Butterbrodt's two-out line drive got past a diving Brenda Peterson in right field and went all the way to the fence. Butterbrodt ended up with a triple, and Hauser scored to cut the lead to 5-3.
Goodson led off the fifth with a towering homer to right field, and Hauser followed with a double. Hauser moved to third on a ground ball and scored on Butterbrodt's sacrifice fly to tie the game at 5-5.
Lawrence took the lead in the sixth, and the rally started with the help of another Finlandia error, the Lions' fourth of the game. Reichel reached on a throwing error by third baseman Amy Bellinger and ended up at second base. Goodson then delivered a two-out double to score Reichel and put the Vikings up 6-5.
Marinac, who came on in relief of Foshag in the sixth, survived Jamie Bellinger's one-out double in the seventh and struck out Kristen Yesh to end the game.
Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Ripon College for a Midwest Conference doubleheader.