ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – Bethany baseball completed the series sweep over Crown on Monday, winning 21-5 in seven innings. The Vikings have reached the 20-win mark in the fewest number of games in the Division III era of Bethany baseball, improving to 20-5 overall and 9-3 in the UMAC. In their last five games, the Vikings have outscored their opponents 110-20.
It didn't take long for the Vikings to gain a lead, scoring three runs in the first. Jayden Knutson led off the game with his second triple of the season and scored on a double by Yunior Pena. Max Athmann then singled home Pena and Gary Swann.
Kyle Carlberg hit his first home run of the season in the second for a 4-0 lead. The Polars cut the lead in half with a two-run homer in the third, but the Vikings blew the game wide open in the fourth with seven runs on five hits. Xander Meissner hit an RBI double, Pena blasted a two-run homer – his third of the season – Athmann scored on a wild pitch, Carlberg and Josh Miller hit RBI singles, and Knutson drove in the 11th run of the game with a ground out.
Crown scored three times in the fifth but the Vikings responded with seven runs in the sixth. Swann hit an RBI double, Meissner hit a three-run homer – his team-leading seventh of the season – Parker Anderson hit an RBI double, and Miller singled home two runs for an 18-5 lead.
Bethany put the finishing touches on the scoring onslaught in the seventh with three more runs. Jared Harry hit an RBI double and Anthony Kuznia hit a two-run homer – the first of his career. Â
Adryen Tietz improved to 3-0 on the season after four innings of work. He allowed four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Tyson Reger tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and Joseph Bews secured the final three outs.
Meissner (3-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, HR) and Pena (3-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B. HR, BB) led the Vikings at the plate as the team collected 20 hits for the second time this season.
Bethany hits the road Wednesday afternoon for a single non-conference game at Gustavus.
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