MANKATO, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran baseball team dropped a 13-10 marathon game to Crown in game one on Saturday before a complete game effort from Sean Gamble in the nightcap helped them take the series with with a 9-2 victory.

Inside the Box Scores

Crown 13 - 10 Bethany
Adryen Tietz got the start in game one and ran into some trouble in the top of the second inning, as the Polars would use six hits, three free passes, and a pair of Bethany errors to plate six runs for the early lead. 

The Vikings would be held off the scoreboard until the fourth inning, but they exploded for eight runs in the frame to take the lead. The first six hitters would reach base with Nolan Spence, Josh Robb, and Seth Jones each recording RBI to cut the deficit in half at 6-3. Eli Fest then grounded out to plate a run before Gary Swann knocked a 2-RBI single to even things at six. Aidan Russell would then cap off the inning by smashing a two-run home run into the teeth of the wind to make it 8-6. 

Crown would immediately answer back in the fifth, as they would use two hits and a walk to load the bases. Back-to-back singles would bring in two and keep the bases loaded with one away before a popout gave Bethany out number two. Crown's Tyler Bloom would then step up and lift one over the left field fence that was nearly robbed by Jones as the Polars took a 12-8 lead. 

The visitors would add another run in the sixth, but Bethany would match it with a run thanks to a Polar error in the bottom half. 

Trailing 13-9, the Vikings would add one more run in the seventh to cut the deficit to three, but they couldn't capitalize on a Xander Meissnerr leadoff double in the eighth as they trailed by three headed to the ninth. In the final frame, Bethany would load the bases with two away in the inning to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but a strikeout would end it and seal the win for the Polars. 

Swann led Bethany at the plate in game one with three hits while Meissner, Spence, and Will Carlson each had two. 

Bethany 9 - 2 Crown
The first five innings of game two went by in the blink of an eye, as Bethany starter Sean Gamble and Crown hurler Ryan Vondracek were locked in a pitchers duel with no runs and just five total hits recorded in the first five frame. 

After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth from Crown, the Vikings would break through in the bottom of the sixth. It was Swann and Russell who singled to open the frame before a Spence single with one away loaded the bases. Josh Robb then broke the scoreless tie, as he recorded his third hit of the contest to bring in two runs, before a Crown error allowed another to score to make it 3-0 after six. 

Another scoreless inning from Gamble brought Bethany back to the plate where they really broke things open in the seventh. Swann recorded a 2-RBI double with a shot into right center field before Russell ripped a single to bring him home. Meissner then doubled to put a pair in scoring position with Spence taking advantage and bringing in another to push it to 7-0. 

Crown would get two runs back in the top of the eighth thanks to a pair of hits, a walk and a passed ball, but the Vikings would answer right back with two of their own in the bottom half thanks to RBI's from Swann and Russell. 

Gamble then would head back out in the ninth and he would shut the door to seal the win for the Vikings. 

Russell and Robb each recorded three hits in game two for Bethany while Swann and Meissner had two. 

Gamble scattered five hits on the mound in the nightcap and struck out 10 batters, allowing just one earned run in the complete game win.

Bethany will be back in action next Friday when they travel to Northwestern for a 3 p.m. contest.