Green Knights Complete MWC Series Sweep of Lawrence

From Sports Information Director, April 12, 2015 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College stretched its winning streak to five games with a doubleheader sweep of Lawrence University by scores of 12-7 and 7-2 in Midwest Conference North Division action at Larry Van Alstine Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex.

The Green Knights (13-10, 5-3 MWC North) have now won 30 of their last 31 games against the Vikings (7-14, 1-7), and have also won 80 of the last 88 games in the series dating back to 1994.

Lawrence's Jake Gordon gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the top of the first inning, but the Green Knights answered with five runs, all scoring with two outs, in the bottom of the second. Brandon Kozinski plated the first run with a bunt single. Troy Rottier followed with a two-run single, while Tyler Banovich and Tyler Brown added run-scoring singles for a 5-1 edge.

The Green Knights added to their lead with a run in the fourth on an RBI double by Banovich, and four runs scored in the fifth inning. Jason Malkowski had a two-run double, Derek Klegin a run-scoring double and Rottier an RBI single for a 10-2 lead.

The Vikings got back into the game with five runs on seven hits in the top of the sixth, but St. Norbert countered with two key runs in the sixth. Sean Grant and Klegin had RBI singles in the inning.

Grant went 5-for-5 with three runs scored, the tenth five-hit game for a St. Norbert player since the 2000 season. Rottier was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Klegin, Banovich and Spencer Larson all had two hits apiece.

Brett Nohr earned the win, allowing nine hits and seven runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Nate Schadrie threw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the save.

In the nightcap, St. Norbert scored three runs in the bottom of the first. Banovich and Brown had RBI singles, while Grant drew a walk with the bases loaded. The Vikings scored single runs in the third and fifth innings to pull to within 3-2.

The Green Knights scored twice in the sixth, with Klegin driving in a run on a single and Rottier getting a run home on a groundout for a 5-2 edge. Grant had an RBI single in the seventh, while Klegin scored on a throwing error in the eighth.

Klegin was 4-for-5 with three runs scored, while Banovich had two hits. Brendan Hermann earned the win, going six-plus innings allowing six hits and two runs.