"What a beautiful day for softball," said Head Coach Angela Dabu as Bethany Lutheran took the field Saturday afternoon. The Vikings opened up UMAC play at Holmberg Field with a strong all-around performance, defeating Minnesota Morris 7–0.
Bethany wasted no time getting on the board, scoring in the top of the first before breaking the game open with a four-run second inning. The Vikings added another run in the third and one more in the sixth to secure the seven-run victory.
The Vikings totaled eight hits in the contest, led by Olivia Sanborn, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three stolen bases. Emily Doyle added a big offensive performance with a pair of hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs, while Bryn Weidner also contributed two RBIs.
Bethany's pitching and defense were equally impressive. Emily Meyer delivered a complete-game shutout, allowing seven hits while striking out five and issuing just one walk across seven innings to improve to 9–5 on the season.
The Vikings were aggressive on the base paths throughout the afternoon, swiping multiple bases and consistently putting pressure on the Cougars' defense, which committed an error that led to an unearned run.
With the win, Bethany improved to 13–6 overall and opened conference play at 1–0, setting a strong tone to begin UMAC competition. They start their doubleheader on Sunday at noon.
