LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Wesleyan baseball continued its dominant start to the season, completing a three-game sweep of Lawrence University with a 13-2 run-rule victory in seven innings on Sunday. The Prairie Wolves improved to 5-0, marking their best start to a season since 1991.

How It Happened:

Nebraska Wesleyan's offense exploded early and often, scoring in four of the seven innings, while the pitching staff held Lawrence to just three hits and two runs. The Prairie Wolves capitalized on Lawrence's defensive miscues, as the Vikings committed seven errors, leading to seven unearned runs.

Nebraska Wesleyan set the tone early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. After Aaron Chazin singled and advanced to second on a throwing error, Carter Betts and Duncan Ortega walked to load the bases. Owen Duckworth  was hit by a pitch, driving in the first run, and Easton Johnson followed with a walk to bring in another, giving the Prairie Wolves a 2-0 lead.

The Prairie Wolves extended their lead with three more runs in the second. Dakota Pruitt reached on an error, and Chazin doubled to right center, putting runners on second and third. Betts then delivered a two-run single, and Ortega walked to put runners on first and second. A fielding error by Lawrence's third baseman allowed another run to score, making it 5-0.

Lawrence got on the board in the top of the third when they doubled to left field, driving in a runner, who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. However, Nebraska Wesleyan's Theo Hughes limited the damage, forcing an easy groundout to Ortega at shortstop to end the inning.

The Prairie Wolves broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. Ortega and Brady Bell started the rally with back-to-back singles, and Duckworth was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Johnson then singled to center, driving in two runs. After another error by Lawrence, Betts launched a three-run homer to left field, capping off the inning and giving Nebraska Wesleyan a commanding 12-1 lead.

Nebraska Wesleyan added another run in the fifth when Johnson singled to left, scoring Tyler Merkel, who had reached on an error earlier in the inning.

Lawrence managed one more run in the top of the seventh when they hit a solo home run, but it was too little, too late as Nebraska Wesleyan closed out the game with a 13-2 victory.

Key Performances:

• Carter Betts led the offensive charge, going 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs.
• Easton Johnson was 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a key two-run single in the fourth.
• Aaron Chazin  went 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored.
• On the mound, Theo Hughes earned the win, allowing just one earned run over five innings while striking out nine.

Up Next:

Nebraska Wesleyan will look to continue its hot start as they prepare for their spring break trip in Florida. The Prairie Wolves' 5-0 record is their best start in over three decades, and the team will look to build on this momentum as they head into the heart of their schedule.