MORRIS, Minn. - Xander Meissner hit two more home runs on Saturday to break the single season home record, helping pace the Bethany Lutheran baseball team to a 35-run day that saw them defeat Minnesota Morris 18-8 and 17-10 to secure a spot in the UMAC Tournament.
Hear from the Vikings
Here's what head coach Ryan Kragh had to say about the day.
Kragh: "I thought today was a good day. Offense was dialed in all day. Back to the work week Monday."
Inside the Box Score
Game 1: Bethany 18 – 8 Morris (7 innings)
Meissner opened the game with a record-breaking home run—his 11th of the season—after a Gary Swann single, giving the Vikings an early two-run lead.
Will Carlson added an RBI single in the second inning, and Swann followed with a two-run homer to extend the lead to 5-0. Morris responded in the bottom half of the inning with two runs, capitalizing on a pair of walks, two hits, and a Bethany error. The Cougars added five more in the third, aided by three hits and additional Viking miscues.
Eli Fest trimmed the deficit with a solo homer in the fourth, making it 7-6. They continued in the fifth with three more runs, thanks to a Nolan Spence sacrifice fly and a two-RBI single by Malachi Santiago.
Morris added a run in the bottom of the fifth before the Vikings erupted for nine runs in the seventh. Despite recording only four hits, Bethany benefited from three hit batters and two walks. Santiago capped off the inning with a three-run homer, extending the lead to 10.
Riston Wojcik, who entered in relief in the third, closed out the game in the seventh to earn the win. He pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out five.
Swann led the Vikings with three hits, three RBI, and three runs scored. Santiago drove in five, while five other Vikings collected two hits each.
Game 2: Bethany 17 – 10 Morris
Morris struck early in game two with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first. Josh Robb got Bethany on the board with an RBI single in the second. In the third, the Vikings surged ahead 6-3 behind a three-run homer from Aidan Russell and a two-RBI double by Seth Jones.
Morris answered with a solo homer in the third, but Meissner quickly silenced the rally. After UMM issued three consecutive walks to start the inning, he launched a grand slam, pushing the lead to 10-4.
The Cougars added another solo shot in the fifth, but Carlson drove in two more runs to widen the gap to seven. Both teams traded runs down the stretch. Leading 13-8 heading into the ninth, Bethany sealed the win with a three-run blast by Robb and a wild pitch that allowed Santiago to score.
Morris added two in the bottom of the ninth, but the Vikings held on for the win.
Sean Gamble earned the win for Bethany, tossing seven innings and allowing six earned runs while striking out 12.
At the plate, six Vikings recorded two hits each. Meissner finished with four RBI and four runs scored, while Russell added four runs and three RBI in a well-rounded performance.
The Vikings will now take on UW-Superior next weekend in Mankato in this final regular season series of the season.
