Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Bethany baseball team needed a season-ending rally to qualify for the UMAC Postseason Tournament, winning 11 of their last 12 games. After a devastating opening game loss in the tournament on Friday, the Vikings rallied again to keep their season alive for at least another day by defeating Northland 16-6.

The tournament's opening game featured an inspiring pitching performance from Cory Ferm. The senior pitched seven innings on Tuesday in a win over Martin Luther and was called again to start, on just two days rest, against the conference's best team St. Scholastica. Ferm held the Saints scoreless through 4 2/3 innings before a solo home run from Brian Minks broke a scoreless tie.

Bethany bounced back quickly and scored twice in the top of the sixth to take the lead. Joe Tuholsky led off the frame with a single through the left side. Blake Kerzich laid down a perfect bunt to reach base. Dylan Gass lofted a bunt just out of the reach of a diving Andy Davis, the Saints' starting pitcher, to load the bases with no outs. Lucas Herd hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Tuholsky and Adam Geiger followed with an RBI single through the right side that scored Kerzich to take the lead.

That 2-1 lead held up until the ninth. With Ferm still on the mound, Tyler Henderson led off with a deep home run to left to knot the game at 2. Ferm retired the next three batters to send the game to extras.

Bethany got a runner to third in the tenth, but was unable to get the go-ahead run. Ferm came out for the tenth and retired the lead-off batter Minks, before getting pulled. Ferm threw 124 pitches over 9 1/3 innings, struck out six while allowing just four hits and two runs.

The Saints delivered three straight singles off reliever Brady Collison including a walk-off RBI single from Trevor Bernsdorf to hand the Vikings a tough 3-2 loss.

The Vikings didn't let that loss linger and started out the elimination game against Northland on a right note. They scored four runs in the top of the first which included a two-run home run to right from Gass.

Northland countered with two in their half of the first and added four more to take a 6-4 lead after five innings. Bethany put up another four-run inning in the sixth to retake the lead. Geiger delivered the inning's big hit with a two-out, bases-clearing double to left center to give Bethany an 8-4 advantage.

Collison took to the mound in the sixth in relief of starter Jake Gleason and atoned for his earlier showing in a big way. He held the Lumberjacks hitless over the final four innings only allowing three walks while striking out three.

Bethany added three insurance runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth to stave off elimination 16-6.

Herd was a perfect 5-for-5 and crossed the plate three times. Geiger was 2-for-4 and knocked in five runs. Mitch Sellers and Deric Poldberg each drove in three more.

Another elimination game comes Saturday morning for Bethany as they take on Northwestern at 10 a.m. at Bethel's Hargis Park. The winner of that game moves on to play St. Scholastica in the championship.