MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran baseball team hosted Minnesota Morris for the two teams series finale on Tuesday afternoon and the Vikings came away with a 12-8 victory. With the win BLC moves to 18-11 on the year and 15-3 in conference play while the Cougars fall to 11-22 overall and 6-12 in the UMAC.

Each team would score one run in the first inning of the contest but both squads also left two runners in scoring positions as well as both starting pitchers were able to work out of early jams.

Bethany would then plate three more runs in the bottom of the third, as they would use two walks and base hits from Liam Peterson and Matt Verdugo to make the score 4-1 after three innings.

Morris would break through for two runs in the top of the fifth, but Bethany would answer back with four in the bottom half thanks to a Verdugo single followed a few batters later by a Josh Robb bases clearing double to bring the tally to 8-3. 

The Cougars would even the game in the top of the sixth inning though, as they would use five walks, a hit batter, and two singles to plate five and even things headed to the bottom half. 

They wouldn't hold the lead long though, as the first three batters of the bottom of the sixth would reach base for Bethany to load the bases with no one out. A fielder's choice followed by an RBI groundout would bring two more runs across for the home team and make it 10-8 headed to the game's final three innings. 

The Vikings would plate two more runs in the seventh thanks to an RBI groundout from Peterson and a run scoring hit form Connor Jones before Jackson Huiras would set Morris down 1-2-3 in the eighth and ninth for the win. 

Ty Vollmar earned the win in relief pitching one inning while Huiras earned the save with two and a third innings of relief. 

Five Vikings had two hits in the contest with Robb, Peterson and Verdugo all posting two hits and three RBI to lead the way. 

Bethany will be back in action on Friday when they travel to UW-Superior for a contest beginning at  3 p.m.