MANKATO, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran baseball team watched a seven run lead slip away in their opening round UMAC contest on Thursday night, but they were able to rally and overcome a two-run deficit in the eight to secure a 10-9 victory over Minnesota-Morris. With the win the Vikings will now match up with Crown College on Friday at 4 p.m., as the Polars defeated UW-Superior 15-3 in the first contest of the day.

Gavin Jacobsen got the start on the mound in this one and was stellar from the jump. The sophomore went 1-2-3 in the top of the first and got all three outs through the air to open the first before the Vikings went down in order in the bottom half to bring things to the second.

The Cougars would get a get a base hit and a hit by pitch to get a few runners on base but Jacobsen would work around the baserunners with three strikeouts to get out of the jam.

Liam Peterson opened the second inning with a single before stealing second and third to put a runner just 90 feet from the plate. Brad Bickmann would walk to put runners on the corners before a Viking popout got Morris their first out of the inning. Bickmann would then steal second but the throw would be cut off and brought home where they were able to get Peterson to take away a run. A groundout would end the inning and evade the threat.

Jacobsen would sandwich a base hit with a pair of strikeouts in the third to get two outs before Hunter Pearce made a perfect throw to catch a runner stealing and bring Bethany back to the plate.

Eli Fest would get a rally started in the bottom half with a single before Matt Verdugo reached on an error. Aidan Russell would single to left field to load the bases before Ben Hopper drew a walk to bring in the games first run. Liam Peterson would knock a deep fly ball to center to plate another run before Bickmann laced a single up the middle to put Bethany up 3-0 after three complete.

Jacobsen would continue to dominate in this one, striking out the side in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the lead at 3-0 as Bethany headed to the plate in the fifth.

In the fifth inning, the Vikings would get a walk and hit batter to put two runners on before Bickmann stepped up and blasted one deep over the wall in left center to put Bethany up 6-0. Pearce would then walk and steal both second and third before Malachi Santiago singled to bring the score to 7-0 after five.

Morris would finally chase Jacobsen from the game in the fifth, as they got three hits and a pair of walks to plate two. Jackson Huiras would enter the game and get a strikeout to get the second out of the inning before he issued two walks that allowed a pair of runs to score. A sliding catch from Hunter Pearce would end the inning but the Cougars struck for four runs to cut the deficit to 7-4.

A scoreless bottom of the sixth and seventh inning from both teams would bring Morris to the plate in the plate the top of the eighth where their offense erupted.

A single and hit batter would open the inning before another single brought in a run to put the tying run on base. Bickmann would come in to pitch and the next Morris hitter would put a ball in play and the force play at third was too late from the Vikings as the Cougars loaded the bases. Morris would then take their first lead of the day in the ensuing at-bat, as the righty hitter for the Cougars would slash a triple down the right field line to clear the bases and give Morris the 8-7 lead.  UMM would get one more run after a base hit up the middle before Bickmann was able to get out of the jam and keep the deficit at just 9-7.

Two quick outs to start the eighth was a bad omen for the Vikings, but Aidan Russell would reach first with a high chopper to put a runner on base. Ben Hopper would then rip a single up the middle before Liam Peterson walked to bring Bickmann up with the bases loaded. The sophomore continued to deliver for Bethany, knocking a single just past the outstretched arms of the Cougar third basemen to bring two runners home and even things at nine. Hunter Pearce would then draw a walk to load the bases before Vaughn Pouncy stepped up in his most important at-bat of the year, fouling away a handful of pitches before drawing a walk to bring in the go-ahead run as the Vikings led 10-9 headed to the ninth.

Ty Vollmar would come in for the save opportunity and he was greeted by Ben Meuser who lined a single to left to get things going for Morris. A sacrifice bunt would move the runner to second before Vollmar got a strikeout swinging for the second out. A Bethany error would place runners on the corners with two away before Vollmar would get a strikeout looking to close the game and secure the win.

Jacobsen got the no-decision on the hill, striking out 12 in 5 1/3 innings of work and allowing four earned. Bickmann got the win in relief, while Vollmar took home the save.

The Bethany pitching staff as a whole had an interesting stat line, allowing 12 hits in the contest but striking out a school record 19 hitters in the contest.

Bickmann had a monster day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with six RBI in the contest, while Eli Fest continues to be a major contributor in the No. 9 spot, as he went 3-of-4 in the game as well.