Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran baseball team lost a high-scoring affair in game one to Luther Friday 11-7, before
Adryen Tietz led the Vikings to victory in game two with a 13-strikeout complete game shutout for a 10-0 eight inning win. With the results the Vikings move to 6-9 on the year while the Norse go to 4-9.
Hear from the Vikings
Here's what head coach Ryan Kragh and senior first baseman
Aidan Russell had to say about today's games.
Kragh: "Saw a lot of good things again today. First game we just couldn't find a way to control their offense. In the second game Tietz had one of the better outings that I've seen in a long time. After our nonconference slate I like where we're at and we're getting healthier on the mound too."
Russell: "Thought we battled hard in the first game and didn't give up. Was proud to see the guys trust our work since the fall and keep being us on offense and attacking pitches. Especially proud of [Adryen] Tietz to trust himself and throw an amazing game to get us into the win column heading into conference week."
Inside the Box Scores
Luther 11 - 7 Bethany
The Norse struck first in game one with a three-run home run that curled just inside the right field foul pole for an early advantage. Russell responded by knocking an RBI base hit in the bottom half, and a Meissner solo shot later in the inning made it 3-2.
Luther added two runs in the second and another in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. However, some heads-up baserunning from Eli Fest in the bottom half brought him in to score, making it 6-3.
A pair of RBI singles in the sixth for Luther made it 8-3, but Will Carlson helped Bethany get one back with a hit in the bottom half with an RBI base hit.
A Josh Robb RBI groundout in the seventh was quickly canceled out in the top of the eighth when the Norse lifted a solo shot to left, making it 9-5. Russell and Gary Swann each picked up RBI singles in the bottom half, making the score 9-7. However, Luther would help seal the game in the ninth, adding two more insurance runs. In the bottom half, Bethany got just one baserunner, and the Norse held on for the win.
Russell and Swann each had three hits in the contest, with Russell also adding two RBI.
Bethany 10 - 0 Luther (8 innings)
After Tietz worked out of some trouble in the top of the first inning, with a pair of runners in scoring position, things went smoothly for him from there.
Bethany got the first run of the contest in the second, loading the bases with one out with a Norse fielder's choice allowing one run to cross.
Tietz then struck out the side in the third inning, and Bethany pieced together six hits in the bottom half to start pulling away. Malachi Santiago recorded a 2-RBI double in the inning, while Jayden Kopp hit a sac fly, and Carlson added an RBI double, making it 5-0.
The sophomore Viking hurler struck out two more batters in both the fourth and fifth innings. Meanwhile, the Norse pitching staff helped the Vikings tack on three more in the bottom of the fifth. Bethany used five free passes and a few wild pitches from Luther to score three more runs, leading 8-0 after five.
A walk and double in the top of the sixth threatened Tietz, but he worked out of it by getting a strikeout and groundout. After he tossed two more scoreless innings, the Viking offense put things away in the bottom of the eighth.
Needing two runs to win via the 10-run rule, the Vikings used a few free passes and a Russell single to load the bases. Cael Willaert delivered a sac fly, and a wild pitch from the Norse allowed another run to score, ending the game.
Fest, Russell, and Santiago each had three hits in the contest, with Santiago also scoring three times and adding two RBI.
Tietz was dominant on the mound, allowing no runs and just four hits in eight innings of work while striking out 13.
Bethany will now have a week off before taking on Martin Luther next Friday in their UMAC opener at 3 p.m.
