MANKATO, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran softball team took care of business in the first round of the UMAC semifinals Thursday, taking down Crown 12-1 in five innings. With the win the Vikings will advance to play UW-Superior in round two tomorrow, as they defeated Northwestern 4-2 in the first game of the day.

Crown would be the team to open up the scoring in this one, getting a pair of singles early with the second putting runners on first and third. A wild pitch from Kayla Senne then allowed a run to score and put a runner on second with just one out. Senne would get a popout in the infield though followed by a flyout to get out of the jam.

Bethany entered the bottom of the first trailing, but it didn't take long to change that. Katelyn Halbach and Kaija Mork would each walk, before Emily Doyle reached safely on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Ana Christofferson would then bring the first run of the game across when she drew a bases loaded walk, while another run came across after a passed ball. Haley Stockman would continue to offensive outburst with a double to score two more and push the lead to 4-1. Brynja Mielke and Elizabeth Cizek would each knock singles to score a run as the Vikings led 6-1 after an inning.  

The Polars would get a pair of runners on with one out in the second, but Senne would strike out two straight to get out of the inning. Crown would get a quick bottom of the inning though, as just one runner reached on an error but was stranded to keep the score at 6-1 after two.  

Following a quick top of the third inning, the Vikings would find their stride offensively again in the bottom half.

Aliya Kehler would single and Mielke would walk before Jade Krenik laid down a perfect bunt single that forced a throwing error and allowed Kehler to score and Krenik and Mielke to advance to second and third, respectively. Cizek then smashed to a double to the left center field fence to bring both across before stealing third shortly after. Leading 9-1, Cizek would score on the throw after a Katelyn Halbach bunt and the bases were then cleared with just one out in the inning. Mork and Doyle would then double in back-to-back at-bats to bring a run across before Doyle scored following a defensive interference on the Polars to make the score 12-1.  

After both teams had a quick fourth inning, Senne would pitch a scoreless fifth after working around a pair of walks and a Bethany error to close out the game.

Cizek led the offensive effort in the contest, going 2-of-2 with three RBI in the game. Senne went the distance in the circle, allowing just four hits while striking out eight.