MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran baseball team Friday hosted Northland for a pair of games and claimed both with big offensive performances. The Vikings, who moved to 12-10 overall and 5-0 in the UMAC, won game one 15-8 before a 23-2 win in game two.
Bethany 15 - 8 Northland
Northland struck first for a run in the bottom of the first of game one thanks to a Bethany wild pitch before the Vikings answered with three runs in the second thanks to a pair of LumberJack errors.
After Northland evened things up at three in the bottom of the fourth,
Josh Robb would lead off the fifth inning with an opposite field home run to put Bethany back on top.
Eli Fest would double to open the sixth and three straight free passes followed by three hits would plate four runs for the Vikings and make the score 8-3.
The Jacks would answer back with a run in the sixth and seventh to cut the deficit down to three runs before Bethany exploded for five more runs in the eighth.
Malachi Santiago would kick off the scoring in the inning with an RBI triple, while
Seth Jones and Fest also had RBI hits in the frame.
Northland would answer back in the bottom half with two more but the Vikings would match that number in the top of the ninth to keep an eight run lead. The Jacks would add one more in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run but that was all they could muster as the Vikings held on for the win.
Trent Ash picked up the win on the bump, tossing six innings and striking out five. Fest and Jones each had three hits to lead Bethany at the plate while four other Vikings added two.
Bethany 23 - 2 Northland
The Vikings bats were hot from the start in game two, as they would pick up four runs in the top of the first.
Xander Meissner would single to bring in a run before he came around to score on another Robb home run.
Nolan Spence and Santiago would then double on back-to-back at-bats to make it 4-0.
Northland would answer back in the bottom half with a run before Bethany put up a nine spot in the top of the second. They would record seven hits in the frame and draw three free passes in the inning, which was highlighted by a grand slam from Spence.
Bethany would go on to add seven more runs in the top of the third inning, using just two total hits as the LumberJacks issued seven walks in the inning to make the score 20-1.
The Vikings would add their final three runs in the sixth inning, as five more free passes and a wild pitch accounted for the runs. Northland would get a run back in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 23-2 before the Vikings won via 10-run rule.
Adryen Tietz picked up the win on the mound for the Vikings, tossing six innings and allowing just one run while striking out four. Spence had a massive game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with six RBI in the contest while also scoring three runs. Robb also added to his big day, tacking on three hits, three RBI, and three runs scored in the nightcap.
The two teams will be back at it again tomorrow when they play the final game of the series at 9 a.m.
