ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Bethany Lutheran softball team (7-11 overall) split against St. Thomas (7-3) Thursday. The Tommies claimed the opener 9-1 in six innings, but the Vikings won the finale, 5-2. This was the first win over St. Thomas in program history.
 
In the first game, St. Thomas took the early 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly. The Tommies added one in the third and five in the fourth, thanks in part to a two-run home run over the leftfield fence.
 
BLC got on the board in the fifth on an RBI single to left from freshman Haley Stockman (Mankato, Minn.)
 
St. Thomas tallied another run in the fifth and one in the sixth to claim the victory.
 
Sophomore Katelyn Halbach (Osage, Iowa) was 2-4 with a run scored.
 
In the finale, BLC plated three in the second to take the early lead.
 
The Tommies answered with two in the third, which sliced the margin to one. Freshman Ana Christofferson (Mankato, Minn.) hit a two-run single to centerfield in the seventh, to add to Bethany's lead.
 
St. Thomas was retired in order in the seventh to give the win to the visitors.
 
Halbach went 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Christofferson went 2-4 with two RBI. Junior Kassidy Cunningham (Portage La Prairie, Manitoba) went 2-3 with a run scored, and also pitched the complete game and had a career-high seven strikeouts.
 
BLC returns to the field Wednesday when it hosts Crown at 3:30 p.m. to begin the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schedule.