Kost, a freshman pitcher from Carol Stream, Ill., earned victories over Ripon College and Beloit College in the past nine days. Kost was 2-0 with a 1.29 earned run average in those two games. She pitched 14 innings, striking out 11 and walking one.
In a 3-0 win over Ripon, she allowed six hits, struck out five, and didnšt walk a batter to pick up her third shutout of the season. In the 6-3 win over Beloit, she gave up seven hits, struck out six, and walked one.
For the season, the former star at Glenbard North High School is 10-3 with a 1.84 ERA. The ten wins by Kost is the sixth-highest total in Lawrence history, and her 1.84 ERA would be fifth-best in school history.
The wins helped nail down the North Division championship for Lawrence and put the Vikings in the MWC Tournament, which begins Friday at Lake Forest College. Lawrence has an 18-13 overall record and is 9-4 in the conference. The Vikings take on Monmouth College in the opening game of the four-team, double-elimination tournament at 10:00 a.m. Friday. Lake Forest and St. Norbert College are the other teams taking part in the tourney.