MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran baseball team Friday night hosted Northwestern in UMAC baseball action and strong hitting at the plate carried the Eagles to an 11-4 victory over the Vikings. It's Bethany's first conference loss of the season as they fall to 15-9 overall and 12-1 in the conference while UNW moves to 13-16 overall and 10-3 in the UMAC. 

The Eagles proved they were up for the the challenge in this one early, as they jumped all over Bethany starter Drew Hedtke in the first two innings, plating four runs on five hits and a Viking error. Hedtke wasn't allowing a ton of overly great contact, but UNW was posting great at-bats and keeping themselves alive before finding holes in the defense to rack up hits. 

Northwestern starting pitcher Nick Drinken was also causing the Viking hitters issues as the plate as he cruised through the first four innings of this one, allowing just three hits and no runs. 

The Eagles would then give him some insurance in the fifth, as they added four runs to make the score 8-0. Three of the four runs came off a bases loaded two-out double that was flicked the other way down the right field line and landed right on the chalk to score all three runs. 

Things stayed at 8-0 until the bottom of the seventh when Liam Peterson injected some life into the offense, launching a two-run shot over the left field fence to put BLC on the board. Eli Fest would then walk before Malachi Santiago doubled off the left field fence to score Fest and he advanced to third on the throw attempting to cut down the run at home. Will Carlson then delivered a single to bring home Santiago and make the score 8-4. 

UNW would add an insurance run in the eighth though before tacking on two more in the ninth as they went on to claim the 11-4 victory.

Northwestern had 16 hits to just seven for the Vikings in this one, with Santiago and Carlson each tallying two hits to lead the Vikings. 

The Vikings and Eagles will be back at it tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.