MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran baseball team hosted Martin Luther on Thursday afternoon and completed the series sweep of the Knights with a 15-3 win. With the result the Vikings move to 5-7 overall and 3-0 in the UMAC while the Knights fall to 3-13 overall and 0-3 in the conference. 

The Vikings got out to a quick start in this one, as they put up nine runs in the first three innings with just one MLC run crossing the plate during that time. Bethany as the beneficiary of some Knights miscues, as they posted just five hits through the first three innings of play. 

A bases loaded walk brought the first Bethany run of the game in before a Connor Jones 2-RBI single brought home a pair. Lucas Reiff would then drive in the final run of the inning with a sac fly to make the score 4-0 after one.

In the second inning, Josh Robb would double before an Aidan Russell sac fly would bring him home to make it 5-0. Two wild pitches with runners on second and third would then allow two more to score and bring the tally to 7-0. A pair of MLC hits and a Bethany error in the second inning allowed them to plate their first run as the score went to 7-1. 

The Vikings would get two more runs in the third, as Russell would bring one home on a triple, scoring himself on the play as well after the attempt to throw him out at third sailed into the MLC dugout. 

After a few scoreless frames, the Vikings would put together a massive inning in the fifth, scoring six runs on three hits, while also using three Knights errors to make the score 15-1. Six different Vikings would record RBI at-bats in the inning.

From there out an MLC two-run home run in the fifth was the only scoring the rest of the contest as John Lutzi tossed a complete game on the mound for the Vikings.

Lutzi threw all seven innings, striking out six and allowing two earned runs.

At the plate for Bethany, Russell, Liam Peterson, and Connor Jones all had a pair of hits, with Jones driving in four runs. 

Bethany is back in action tomorrow when they take on Northland in a doubleheader beginning at noon.