MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran softball season saw their season come to a close in the UMAC Championship on Saturday afternoon, as they fell to UW-Superior by a score of 6-5. They finish their season at 29-14 while UWS moves to 26-13 and earns the UMAC's bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

Bethany was the visiting team in the contest and would open the scoring in the top of the first inning, as Kaija Mork would knock a two-out RBI double off the left center field fence.

The Yellowjackets were quick to respond though, tallying three hits and a walk off of Viking starter Emily Meyer in the bottom of the first inning to plate three runs. 

From there, Meyer would settle in though and it wasn't until the fourth inning that Bethany would give her some run support. Haley Stockman and Ana Christofferson would rip back-to-back doubles to open the frame and plate a run before an Emily Nelson single put runners on the corners. A fielding error would even the game at three apiece before a Bryn Weidner sacrifice fly put Bethany on top headed to the bottom half. 

Meyer would record her final inning of work in the fourth, working around an error and a single to get out of the inning scoreless and keep Bethany on top. 

Mork would then add an insurance run for the Vikings in the top of the fifth inning as she hit a towering home run to make the score 5-3. 

A leadoff triple from Superior in the bottom of the fifth inning would come around to score after a groundout as they would cut the deficit back to one run headed into the game's final two innings. 

Bethany would get back to back runners on to open the sixth inning and looked to be in line to add some more insurance runs, but a double play followed by a groundout quickly ended the threat. 

Superior would then use small ball in the sixth inning with a single, sacrifice bunt, and single evening the game at five apiece headed to the final inning. 

The Vikings would go down in order quickly in the top of the seventh and give the Yellowjackets a chance to walk it off in the bottom half. 

A ground rule double to right center to open the inning put them in good position to do so, before Kayla Senne would get the next two hitters thanks to a flyout and a strikeout looking. The Yellowjackets would make due with their final out though, hitting a line drive into left center that was out of the reach of the Viking outfielders and bounced up and over the fence to give UWS the walkoff victory. 

Nelson led Bethany at the plate in this one with three hits while Mork and Stockman each added two. 

Meyer allowed three earned runs in four innings of work in the no decision while Senne took the loss after allowing three earned in 2.2 innings.