MANKATO, MN – The Bethany Lutheran College softball team, coming off their first regular season Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) championship, started postseason play today as the host team. The #1 Vikings watched the first game of the day between #5 MN-Morris and #4 Northwestern, awaiting the winner. Northwestern, the defending UMAC tournament champions, took down MN-Morris to advance and play BLC.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Vikings fell behind after the Eagles put four runs on the board in the second inning. A couple of errors by the Vikings at the start of the inning helped the Eagles land two runners on base. The Eagles scored their first run on a sac bunt and added another just one batter later. Kayla Madison then hit a two-run homer for the Eagles to give them a 4-0 lead.

With two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth, Haylee Sobrero doubled to center field which made the score 4-2.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, still trailing by two runs, Kaylee Mork started the rally with a leadoff single. Freshman Jasmine Bejarano came in to pinch hit and delivered a double to center field which advanced Mork to third. Zoe Kinakin drove Mork home from third with a base hit and then Anna Hoffman tied the game with an RBI single to score Kinakin.
 
The Vikings and Eagles both went scoreless in the eighth, but things changed in the ninth when UNW put three more runs on the board. The Vikings were unable to respond in the bottom half of the inning and lost 7-4.
 
Bria Majeski pitched nine innings for the Vikings, giving up 11 hits and seven runs (4 earned) with four strikeouts. Zoe Kinakin went 4-5 with two runs and one RBI.
 
Up Next: The Vikings play Friday, May 3 at 2 PM. They await the winner of #2 UW-Superior vs. #5 MN-Morris.
 
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MEDIA: If you need further information, please feel free to contact Dan DeWitt at 507-344-7856 or email ddewitt@blc.edu