NEW ULM, Minn. – The Bethany Lutheran softball team had some dominant offensive production to sweep a UMAC doubleheader against Martin Luther on Tuesday, winning 6–1 in game one before completing the sweep with a 19–0 victory in game two.
Game 1 – Bethany Lutheran 6, Martin Luther 1
The Vikings set the tone early in the opener, striking in the first inning as Olivia Sanborn singled and stole second before coming around to score on an RBI double from Emily Doyle.
Bethany added to its lead in the second when Emily Nelson scored on a sacrifice fly from Sanborn, making it 2–0.
The Vikings continued to build in the third, as Carly Nelson crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from Avery Carlson to extend the lead to 3–0.
Martin Luther answered with its lone run in the bottom half of the inning, but Bethany quickly responded. In the fourth, Doyle delivered again with a two-RBI double to score both Sanborn and Bryn Weidner, pushing the advantage to 5–1.
Bethany added an insurance run in the fifth when Sanborn drove in Hayven Linn with a single to cap the scoring at 6–1.
Emily Meyer (W, 16-5) pitched a complete game with ten strikeouts, and  limited Martin Luther to just one run, while the defense played clean behind them to secure the opening win.
Game 2 – Bethany Lutheran 19, Martin Luther 0
Bethany carried that momentum into game two, erupting for 19 runs in a dominant performance to complete the sweep.
The Vikings wasted no time, scoring five runs in the first inning. After Sanborn reached and stole second, she came home on an RBI from Doyle. Bethany continued to apply pressure with bases-loaded walks from Avery Carlson, Addie Ahern, and Alexis Dahlberg, while Paige Haala added an RBI groundout to make it 5–0.
The Vikings added two more runs in the second, highlighted by a two-run home run from Carly Nelson to extend the lead to 7–0.
In the third, Sanborn tripled and scored on an RBI groundout from Tori Teigen, pushing the lead to 8–0.
Bethany broke the game open in the fourth with five runs. Dahlberg drove in a run with a single, Haala added an RBI walk, and Sanborn delivered a two-RBI single as the lead grew to 13–0.
The Vikings capped the scoring with six runs in the fifth. Dahlberg tripled in a run, Sanborn added a two-RBI triple, and Bryn Weidner followed with an RBI single before Bethany added two more runs on a defensive miscue to reach the 19–0 final.
Joie Koll (W,8-2) and Becca Kuck combined for the shutout, allowing just two hits, limiting Martin Luther's opportunities throughout the shortened game.
The Vikings' offense produced consistently throughout both games, while strong pitching and defense allowed Bethany to control the doubleheader from start to finish.
The VIkings start their three game series with NCU on Friday at 5:30pm.
