ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – First-year Emily Doyle produced her biggest at-bat of the season on Saturday afternoon, as she knocked a 2-RBI walk-off single to propel the Bethany Lutheran softball team to an 8-7 win over UW-Superior in 10 innings and send the Vikings to the UMAC Championship game. BLC and UWS battled for over three hours, a couple in the rain, as Bethany was able to claim their school record 30th win. The Vikings will now face off with UW-Superior again on Sunday in the UMAC Championship at 12 p.m., with an if necessary game schedule for 2 p.m.

The Yellowjackets would open the game at-bat in the first inning, loading the bases thanks to a pair of walks and a Viking error, but Kayla Senne would work out of the jam with a strikeout to bring Bethany their first try at the plate.

UWS starting pitcher Tayler Kraemer made quick work of the Vikings in the first though, putting them down 1-2-3 to bring her offense back to the plate. After Senne got a strikeout to start the inning, she would hit a batter before a fielder's choice got the lead runner and left a runner on first with two outs. Two consecutive singles though would plate the game's first run and give the Yellowjackets the lead before a strikeout ended the threat.

Bethany came to the plate in the bottom half and answered the call, using five hits to score four runs and re-take the lead. Ana Christofferson would walk before a sacrifice bunt moved her to second. Four straight singles from Aliya Kehler, Brynja Mielke, Jade, Krenik, and Elizabeth Cizek, followed by a double from Katelyn Halbach would help the Vikings to the early 4-1 lead.

A single and walk to start the third inning for Superior would put two runners on. A perfectly placed bunt would result in an errant throw that rolled deep into the right field corner and allowed all runners to advance two bases. The throw in would then get away from the Vikings and allowed the Yellowjacket who bunted originally to come all the way around and score to tie the game.

The rain started to come down at pace in the fourth inning and Senne had trouble finding the zone, as she issued three walks to go along with a pair of outs. With the bases loaded, a groundball was mishandled by the Vikings that allowed a run to cross and gave Superior the lead.

The Vikings would go down quickly in the bottom of the fourth, but they were able to return the favor in the top of the fifth by working around a pair of walks in the top of the fifth to hold UWS scoreless. In the bottom of the fifth, Ana Christofferson would get hit by a pitch before Bailey Erlandson drove a triple to the fence in center field to even things at five.

Both teams would play a scoreless sixth inning as the team's headed to the seventh still tied at five apiece. In the seventh, Senne would induce a flyout to start the inning before a pair of singles and Bethany error loaded the bases. A strike out would retire the second hitter of the inning before a walk would allow the go-ahead run to score. A flyout would end the inning with the Vikings needing one run to keep the game alive.

Emily Doyle would get things going with a single through the left side before Ana Christofferson hit a ground ball that would result in a fielder's choice to get Doyle at second. Stockman would then ground out to third with Christofferson advancing on the play. With two away, Bailey Erlandson would play hero for the second time in the contest dropping a single into left with Christofferson sliding under the tag at home to score the game tying run. With Erlandson still at second, a groundout would send things to extras.

Senne would strike out the side in the eighth inning giving Bethany a chance in the bottom half. After a strikeout to begin the inning, Elizabeth Cizek would tally her fourth hit of the day with a triple to right to put the game-winning run just 60 feet away. Halbach would then bunt to reach with Cizek at third forcing the Yellowjackets to hold the throw and allowing her to reach safely. Another strikeout would get the second out of the inning before Halbach stole second to put two in scoring position. Doyle was then intentionally walked to load the bases before the third strikeout ended the inning.

Senne would work around a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning by getting a two-out strikeout, before Haley Stockman kicked off the bottom half by reaching on an error. She would eventually get to second base on a groundout before Jade Krenik hit a single to left and Stockman was thrown out trying to score.

A single and sac bunt to start the 10th inning would put a runner in scoring position for UWS. After a flyout to right field, Krenik would make a throw to third that got away from Doyle and allowed the runner tagging from second to come around to score. A well hit ball to left would be grabbed by Halbach to end the inning as Bethany had their work cut out for them in the bottom half.

The Yellowjackets would retire the first hitter of the inning before Halbach dropped a double down the left field line to put a runner in scoring position. Kaija Mork would then rip a single through the right side of the infield to put runners at the corners with one away. Midway through Doyle's at-bat Mork would steal second base to put the game-winning run on second base. With first base open, they elected to pitch to Doyle with strikes already in her at bat, and the first-year came through, rolling a single up the middle to bring in both runners and walk the game off for the Vikings.

Cizek had a huge day to lead Bethany at the plate, going 4-of-5 in the contest. Erlandson also stepped up in big, coming in midway through the game and delivered a pair of crucial hits.

Senne got the win in the contest, allowing two earned runs and eight hits in 10 innings, while striking out 14.