MANKATO, Minn. -- The Bethany Lutheran softball team (17-13 overall, 9-2 UMAC) split with No. 17 St. Scholastica (30-3, 13-1) Friday. The Saints won the first meeting 10-2 in five innings, but the Vikings won the finale, 3-1. This marked the second win over a Top 25 opponent in school history.
 
The score was even after the first inning. St. Scholastica plated three in the second, and BLC scored one in the third to make it a 4-2 game. A four-run fourth inning by the Saints pushed the lead to 8-2, and they added two in the fifth.
 
Bethany had runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom fo the fifth to try to avoid the shortened game. Unfortunately, the next batter grounded out to give the win to the visitors.
 
In the second game, St. Scholastica plated one in the second on an RBI single. The Vikings evened it in the fifth on an RBI single from junior Kassidy Cunningham (Portage La Prairie, Manitoba). Two runs scored on senior Eden Ambrose's (Hugo, Minn.) fielder's choice in the sixth.

In the seventh, the Saints had runners on first and second with two outs. Cunningham finalized the win on two successive strikeouts.
 
Cunningham pitched the complete game and had a career-high eight Ks.
 
Bethany returns to the field tomorrow as it travels to face Northland at 1 p.m.