photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence designated hitter Saylor Jackson slides home in an 8-1 win over Harrisburg on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Lawrence.

Lawrence baseball took advantage of a windy day and defensive errors with an 8-1 win over Harrisburg on Friday to get to 3-1 on the season.

The Lions scored half of their runs in the first inning, despite only one hit for the team. Aggressive baserunning after walks and errors helped the Lions get the four-run lead, which ultimately proved enough to win the game.

“It’s a crappy day to hit,” Lawrence coach Adam Green said. “We want to put pressure on people. We want to run, we want to steal, we want to take extra bases. We want to be the aggressor.”

Jonas Hohman pitched for the Lions and struck out four while allowing three hits and two walks in seven innings. Given the windy conditions that made it harder for fielders, the Lions needed a strong performance from Hohman and got one. Of his 78 pitches in the game, 53 were strikes.

“My arm felt good, just trying to throw strikes and get outs,” Hohman said. “Keeping the ball in the field is all it takes. (The defense) is ready to make a play for me.”

Hohman struck the first batter of the game out, and the Lions retired the side with flyouts to the outfield.

At the plate, shortstop Gavin Taylor singled as the leadoff hitter, which got the four-run inning started. Second baseman Logan Harris walked, and right fielder Brady Wollesen reached first on an error, which loaded the bases. An error in the next at-bat brought Taylor home, and Harris scored on a balk by the pitcher in the next at-bat.

Catcher Devin Foster walked with the bases loaded for Lawrence’s third run, and Jaxon Becker brought a runner home on a fielder’s choice that resulted in the second out. Left fielder Turner Juelsgaard walked to load the bases again, but the Tigers got the third out on a line drive the next at-bat.

First baseman Hudson Hardesty said baserunning is the first thing the team works on each day, and that the team spends a lot of time on it. That showed up in the first inning as Lawrence took advantage of extra bases to score, and the team had a good time doing so.

“It’s really fun,” Hardesty said. “It’s nice to have the mindset of, ‘All right, I’m going to steal this next pitch.'”

Harrisburg started the second inning with a single, but the Lions were able to quickly get three outs. Designated hitter Saylor Jackson hit an RBI single that brought Hardesty home in the bottom of the frame, but the Lions left more runners stranded with the Tigers getting the next two outs. Lawrence added a sixth run on Hardesty’s RBI single in the bottom of the third after Harrisburg only got a runner on base from a walk in the top of the inning.

The Tigers got on the board in the top of the fourth after consecutive singles put runners in scoring position. A sacrifice fly to center field brought a runner home with two outs, but a groundout to Harris at second base ended the half-inning.

The Lions didn’t put anyone on base in the bottom of the fourth. Harris walked in the bottom of the fifth and was the only runner on base for either team in that inning.

After Lawrence retired the side in order at the top of the sixth, the Lions added two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Wollesen singled to start, and Jackson doubled, which brought Wollesen home. Third baseman Brandt Edmonds hit a sacrifice fly, which brought Jackson home for the final run of the game.

Hohman finished the game on the mound. After a strikeout, two quick groundouts to Taylor at shortstop ended the game with the Lions ahead by seven runs.

“We got a complete game from Jonas,” Green said. “I’m super proud of him.”

Lawrence finished its first two weeks of baseball 3-1 but will have Sunflower League and other Kansas teams the rest of the way.

“We definitely have some work to do, but I like where we’re at,” Hardesty said.