ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran baseball team picked up a pair of big conference wins on Friday night, defeating Northwestern 7-6 in game one before an 11-6 comeback win in game two. With the wins the Vikings move to 10-8 overall and 6-3 in the UMAC.
Bethany Lutheran 7 – 6 Northwestern
The Viking offense gave starting pitcher Conor Merton some run support before he even stepped on the mound in this one, as they put up a crooked number in the first. Matt Verdugo tripled to open the game, followed by an Aidan Russell single to plate a run. A Ben Hopper single was then booted in center field and allowed Russell to score and sent Hopper to third. Vaughn Pouncy would eventually knock Hopper in with a groundout to make the score 3-0 after ½ inning.
Northwestern would get to Merton early with a pair of hits as well as a walk to load the bases with two outs in the first. A passed ball would allow a run to score, before the batter hit a line drive to second that Liam Peterson made a great play on to save a pair of runs and send things to the second.
Hunter Pearce would start the second with a base knock to threaten early. After Pearce was moved over to second, Verdugo would get his second hit of the contest to bring a run in and make the score 4-1.
The scoring would then halt until the bottom of the third when Northwestern would start a rally. They would get two straight hits to start the inning and then a Viking error would help plate a run and put runners at second and third with nobody out. Merton locked in though, and struck out three straight to strand the runners and hold onto the two run lead.
Bethany would get their runs back in the fifth, as Russell was plunked to start the inning before Hopper singled. Brad Bickmann and Pearce then recorded back-to-back hits to plate two more runs and go up 6-2.
After Merton got a strikeout to start the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles got an opposite field home run to cut the deficit to 6-3. After a walk to the next batter, Northwestern would knock a double to plate another and make the score 6-4 after five innings.
Jackson Huiras would take over for Merton in the bottom of the sixth and after an Eagle single, they would connect for another home run to even things at six. The first-year would lock back in though with a strikeout to end the inning.
After the Vikings went through a scoreless top of the seventh, Huiras came out and got a 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of strikeouts.
In the top of the eighth, Eli Fest would walk and Verdugo would get hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Hopper then knocked a single to right center to plate Fest and put Bethany up 7-6 after 7 1/2 innings.
It was all Huiras from there, as the first-year went 1-2-3 in the eighth with a pair of strikeouts, before working around an error in the ninth to close the game.
The Vikings posted 13 hits in the contest with five players notching multiple. Hopper led the team with three while Verdugo, Peterson, Bickmann and Pearce each had two.
Merton got the start on the hill, going five innings and allowing two earned while striking out five. Huiras got the win in relief, striking out six and allowing two runs in four innings.
Bethany Lutheran 11 – 6 Northwestern
The Vikings would get things going early in game two, scoring a singular run in both the first and second inning to go up 2-0. The Eagles would respond in the bottom of the third, poking a triple down the right field line with two runners on to even things at two after three complete.
Bethany would get an unearned run in the fourth inning before the Eagles answered back in the fourth and fifth with a run in each to take a 4-3 lead after five innings.
Trailing heading into the seventh, the Vikings were finally able to get the bats going with Eli Fest starting it with an opposite field double. Matt Verdugo would then walk before a ground and strikeout would then put runners at second and third with two outs. Liam Peterson then stepped up and put up the biggest at bat of the game, knocking an opposite field double to the fence to plate a pair of runs and give Bethany the lead. Bickmann would then follow him up with an infield single to second to put Bethany up two in the seventh inning.
Conner Side, who came on and got a big out in the sixth inning, then pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to bring Bethany back to plate. Pouncy, Fest, and Verdugo all reached for Bethany to load the bases with one out. Aidan Russell then stepped up and found the right center field fence to plate a pair of runs and put the Vikings up 8-4. With runners still at second and third, Hopper and Peterson would then get beaned in back-to-back at bats to plate another and put Bethany up five.
After three straight Eagles reached to start the eighth, Bickmann was brought on to alleviate the damage. Northwestern would score a run on a passed ball and a groundout but that was all they could muster though as Bickmann was able to get out of the jam.
Russell then all but put the game away in the top of the ninth, as he blooped a double behind second base to score two more runs and put Bethany up 11-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Bickmann would manage a walk in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
Gavin Jacobsen got the no decision start on the mound, going four inning and allowing three hits and three earned runs while striking out eight. John Lutzi, Side, and Bickmann divvied up the relief duties, combining four five innings, three runs allowed and scattering four hits. Side got the win in relief while Bickmann was awarded a save.
The Vikings once again posted 13 hits, with Russell and Peterson each notching three. Eli Fest also tallied two hits and a pair of walks while scoring four runs in the game.
