ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – Bethany baseball won both games of a UMAC doubleheader Thursday at Crown College, winning 22-9 and 9-6. The Vikings blasted six home runs on the day, improving to 19-5 overall and 8-3 in the league.
Bethany 22, Crown 9 (8 inn.)
The Vikings exploded for eight runs in the first inning and never looked back. Yunior Pena Torres plated the first run with a sacrifice fly and Vincent Curzie made it 2-0 with an RBI single. Seth Jones had the big hit of the inning, blasting a grand slam for his second homer of the season. Kyle Carlberg scored on an error and Gary Swann hit an RBI single for the eighth run of the frame.
The Polars got three runs back in the second with a home run and a two-run single before the Vikings scored single runs in both the third and fourth innings. Jayden Knutson hit an RBI single in the third and Curzie drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth.
Crown had another three-run inning in the bottom of the fourth after three hits and a couple hit-by-pitches, but the Vikings added two more runs in the fifth on Pena's second homer of the season for a 12-6 advantage.
The home team made things interesting in the sixth with yet another three-run inning, making the score 12-9, but the Vikings put the game out of reach with six runs in the seventh and another four in the eighth for the decisive win. Xander Meissner hit his team-leading sixth home run in the seventh while Max Athmann homered in both the seventh and eighth innings.
Knutson (3-5, 4 R, 2 RBI, BB, 3 SB) and Pena (3-5, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, SF) led at the plate. Aidan Byrd improved to 5-0 after 3.2 innings. He allowed six runs on nine hits with four strikeouts.
Bethany 9, Crown 6
Bethany got off to a quick start again in game two with two runs in the first inning. Pena hit an RBI single and Jayden Kopp drew a bases loaded walk. The Polars gained their first lead of the day in the bottom half with three runs on just one hit and four walks. Crown added another run in the second on a wild pitch to lead 4-2.
The Vikings scored once in the fourth as Swann hit an RBI single to cut the deficit to one. After three scoreless innings, the Vikings regained the lead with four runs in the eighth. Carlberg tied the game with an RBI sac fly and Josh Miller ensured with an RBI double. Knutson followed with a two-run homer for his first collegiate home run for a 7-4 lead and forced a pitching change.
Crown had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the eighth but Quentin Holmes got out of the jam with a strikeout followed by a ground ball double play.
The Vikings added two insurance runs in the ninth as Pena scored on a wild pitch and Carlberg drove in Athmann with a grounder. The Polars scored twice in the bottom half but it was too little too late.
Knutson led at the plate again, batting 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, and a homer. Ethan Lung earned the win after 1.2 innings of relief. He did not allow a run with just one hit and one strikeout. Riston Wojcik earned his second save by closing out the ninth.
Bethany and Crown finish the three-game series at 3 p.m. Friday.
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