Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TUCSON, Ariz. - The Bethany Lutheran basetball team split a pair of games on their final day in Tucson on Thursday afternoon. The Vikings defeated Dakota Wesleyan 17-7 in eight innings in game one before falling to Gustavus 14-9 in game two.

Bethany 17 - 7 Dakota Wesleyan (8 innings)

Bethany struck first in game one, as Eli Fest would single and steal a base before advancing on a groundout and then a Nolan Spence sac fly to make it 1-0. 

Starter Trent Ash would hold DWU scoreless through the first three innings before the Vikings would break through again in the bottom of the third. They would push four runs across using just three hits as four free passes from the Tiger pitching staff would held Bethany to a 5-0 lead. 

Dakota Wesleyan would then break through again in the fifth, as they would use a few free passes from Ash as well as a pair of hits to bring in three more runs to make it 5-4. 

The Vikings answered back in the bottom of the fifth, as a DWU error in the outfield brought in two more runs before they would tack on three more in the sixth after Gary Swann tripled to bring in two and then came home on a Josh Robb hit to make it 10-4. 

Sean Gamble came on in the sixth for the Vikings and after tossing a scoreless first inning, would allow an unearned run in the seventh to make the score 10-5. 

Aidan Russell and Xander Meissner each had RBI doubles in the seventh inning with Meissner bringing in two before the Tigers would answer the three Bethany runs with two of their own to make it 13-7 headed to the bottom of the eighth. 

The Vikings would put the game away in the bottom of the eighth though, as they would draw five free passes in the inning and use a Kyle Carlberg triple and a DWU error to plate four runs and end the game via the 10-run rule. 

Meissner had a strong game going 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBI, while Swann was 2-for-4 with three runs and RBI.

Ash picked up the win after allowing four runs and striking out three in five innings of work, while Gamble nabbed a save in three innings of work, allowing two earned runs, and striking out five. 

Gustavus 14 - 9 Bethany

Seth Jones would double to open the first inning and after a Gustauvs error helped him advance to third he would driven in on a Juan Rodriguez sac fly. 

The Gusties would answer quickly in the bottom half of the first, as they would use a few early free passes and error to plate one and load the bases before a double and single brought two more home to make it 4-1. 

GAC would push one more run across in the second inning before plating three more in the third to take the early 8-1 lead before the Vikings had their breakthrough inning in the fourth.

Carlberg would walk to open the inning before Ty Spire would single and both would come around to score on a Jones single. Jayden Kopp then hit a sacrifice fly as the Vikings would bring the score to 8-4. 

They would add two more in the top of the fifth after run scoring at-bats from Carlberg and Jones made it 8-6. Gustavus however would answer in the bottom half with two of their own to push the lead back to four at 10-6.

The Gusties would score the next four runs as they plated two in the seventh and two in the eighth to take a 14-6 lead before the Vikings came up for their final at-bat in the ninth. 

Bethany would work to fight back in the top of the ninth as Ryley Emery, Braxton Tabashniuk, and Xavier Palmer would all knock run scoring singles but the Gusties would eventually close things out for the 14-9 win. 

Jones, Emery, Carlberg, and Anthony Kuznia all had two hits in the contest with Emery and Jones each scoring twice. 

The Vikings will now have over a week off before returning to action against UW-Eau Claire in Marion, IA on March 15th.