MANKATO, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran softball team hosted Martin Luther College on Tuesday afternoon and won a pair of contests over the Knights to improve on their school record win streak. The Vikings, who won the first contest 14-3 in five innings before winning the second 7-2, now sit at 18-11 overall and 10-0 in the UMAC and have won 13 straight contests.

Bethany Lutheran 14 – 3 Martin Luther

After Kayla Senne put down the Knights 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning, MLC would open the game defensively with an error in the field to allow Katelyn Halbach to reach safely. The senior would steal second before Emily Doyle collected a single up the middle to bring in the game's first run. After a Viking flyout, Haley Stockman would then step to the plate and pay off a long at-bat with a home run down the left field line to put Bethany up 3-0.

Brynja Mielke opened the second with a single and the Vikings just continued to click offensively from there. Halbach singled before Kaija Mork ripped a 2-RBI single to put Bethany up 5-0. Doyle and Ana Christofferson then ripped back-to-back doubles to bring across two more runs and put the Vikings up 7-0.

Senne allowed her first baserunner of the game in the third when she issued a walk, but Mielke threw out the runner attempting to steal second to neutralize the threat and Senne would get out unscathed. Bethany would get two runners on to start the third but three straight outs would end the inning and the lead would stay at 7-0 after three.

The Knights would get their first hit of the contest in the fourth and the runner would eventually get to second on a wild pitch, but Senne would get a pair of strikeouts to end the inning and hold the Knights scoreless. The Bethany offense would then open the floodgates in the bottom half of the inning. Mork and Doyle would each open the inning with singles before Christofferson blasted a home run to put the Vikings up 10-0. Stockman would then draw a walk before Tori Pahl, Sierra Brown, Morgan Eckes, Madisen Borek, and Doyle all knocked base hits to plate four more runs and put Bethany ahead 14-0. The Knights would get three runs in the top of the fifth but after getting out of the inning the Vikings would win via the eight-run rule.

Doyle led the Vikings at the plate in the first matchup going 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI, and three runs scored. Christofferson also had a solid game with a pair of hits and four RBI, while Mork and Mielke added two hits as well.  

Senne threw the first four innings of the contest, allowing just one hit while striking out seven for the win.

Bethany Lutheran 7 – 2 Martin Luther

In game two, the Vikings offense stayed persistent, putting up runs in each of the first five innings to help push them to victory.

After MLC opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, Mork would get Bethany going in the bottom half with a single before Christofferson doubled to left center to plate their first run of the game.

The Knights were held scoreless in the top of the second and Bethany would strike for three more in the bottom half thanks to a few Knight errors. After a 1-2-3 top of the third, Christofferson would continue her strong game with a double down the third base line to start the bottom half. Stockman would then rip a single through the left side to plate Christofferson and give Bethany a 5-1 lead after three.

In the fourth the Vikings would plate a singular run thanks to a Kaija Mork triple, before loading the bases in the fifth and gaining just one run on a bases loaded Pahl walk. MLC would answer with a bases loaded walk of their own in the sixth before Senne would end the threat and retire the Knights quickly in the seventh to secure the win.

Christofferson capped off a strong day at the plate in game two as she went 3-of-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in the game. Mork, Aliya Kehler and Elizabeth Cizek all posted two hits and scored a run in the matchup.

Senne went the distance on the mound, allowing a pair of earned runs while striking out eight.