Knox holds off Lawrence baseball

(LAWRENCE ATHLETICS) APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University baseball team rallied late Friday, but Knox College held on for an 8-6 Midwest Conference victory at Whiting Field.
Knox led 5-3 but Thomas Wilmot hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning that proved to be the winning margin.
Taylor Freeman went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double, two runs batted in and two runs scored to pace the Vikings (11-14, 5-5 MWC). Zach Leslie and Tate Hartlaub both went 2-for-5 for the Vikings, and Leslie hit his first homer of the season.
Knox (14-12, 6-4) jumped on the Vikings with two runs in the top of the first, and Freeman cut the lead to 2-1 when he doubled, stole third and came around to score on a throwing error. The Vikings failed to get more and left the bases loaded.
After Knox scored a run in the third, the Vikings tied it at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. Hartlaub picked up a run-scoring single in the frame. The Prairie Fire grabbed the lead right back with two runs in the fifth, and Wilmot hit the key three-run homer in the seventh to push the lead to 8-3.
The Vikings cut the lead to 8-4 on Leslie’s booming home run in the bottom half of the seventh, but the Vikings failed to score again and left Freeman stranded at third. Both teams stranded seven runners in the game.
Lawrence rallied again in the ninth when Sage Beebe-Jenny started the inning with a single. That finally chased Knox starter Brandon Ward, who allowed five runs on nine hits, struck out eight and walked three.
Brady Bertrand came on in relief for Knox and retired the next two hitters. Freeman then hit a towering two-run homer down the left field line to trim the lead to 8-6. Bertrand came back to get a strikeout to end the game.
Lawrence starter Richie LaCien went five innings and took the loss. He allowed five runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked three.
The teams finish the three-game series with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday.