MANKATO, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran baseball team needed just seven innings to defeat Northland on Monday afternoon as they toppled the LumberJacks 12-1. With the win the Vikings move to 14-8 overall and 10-3 in the UMAC.
Bethany, who was the visiting team on the scoreboard in this one, went down quickly in the top of the first inning to bring Northland to the plate. Brody Curtiss got the nod on the bump and after getting a lineout to start the bottom half, would give up a single and double to put two runners in scoring position. Bethany elected to play for an out with the infield back and a groundout from the LumberJacks would bring in the game's first run. With a runner still in scoring position, Curtiss would get a flyout to end the inning.
The Northland starter was working with pace in this one and Curtiss started to settle into a groove of his own, as the second and third inning went by in a flash. Brad Bickmann changed the direction of the game with one swing in the top of the fourth, as he led off the inning with an opposite field home run off the scoreboard to even things at one. Back-to-back walks followed by a Reed Brown sacrifice bunt would put runners at second and third with Eli Fest paying off the small ball decision with a double to the left field fence to put Bethany up 3-1. Matt Verdugo would then draw a walk to put two runners on for Aidan Russell who nearly replicated his home run from yesterday, driving one into the suites in right at ISG Field for a 6-1 lead after four innings.
In the top of the fifth, Hunter Pearce would double to get the inning going before advancing to third on a wild pitch. A throwing error by the LumberJacks then allowed Pearce to score and Vaughn Pouncy to make his way to second. Brown would rip a double off the left field fence to bring Pouncy around and make the score 8-1.
Curtiss would work around a double in the fifth to bring Bethany back to the plate in the top of the sixth where Ben Hopper and Liam Peterson would each reach base with one out to start a rally. Bickmann would continue his big day with a double to left to plate Hopper, before a Brown single up the middle would bring in Peterson and Bickmann to bring the score to 11-1.
The Vikings would tack on one more run in the seventh as Conner Side and Ty Vollmar each worked a scoreless inning in relief to secure the win.
Hopper led Bethany with three hits in the matchup, while Russell, Bickmann, Brown, and Fest each added two.
Curtiss got the win on the bump, going five innings and allowing just one run and four hits while striking out five.
