MANKATO, Minn. - Bethany baseball found itself on both ends of decisive shutouts Monday, defeating UW-Superior 9-0 in game one before a 10-0, seven-inning loss in game two. The Vikings are now 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the UMAC.Â
Bethany 9, UW-Superior 0
Aidan Byrd was the story of game one, tossing seven shutout innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts, improving to 4-0 on the year.Â
Jayden Knutson led off the first with a hit by pitch and scored on a single by Xander Meissner, which proved to be the game-winning run.Â
But the Vikings weren't done there. Gary Swann hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Josh Miller added an RBI double for a 4-0 lead after four.Â
Bethany added a run in the seventh as Knutson scored on a throwing error and the game was put out of reach in the eighth with four more runs. Knutson hit a two-run double, Kyle Carlberg hit an RBI single, and Meissner added a sac fly.Â
Sean Gamble closed out the final two innings with a pair of strikeouts. Knutson, Carlberg, Pena, and Vincent Curzie had two hits apiece.Â
Bethany 0, UW-Superior 10 (7 inn.)
The Yellowjackets flipped the script in game two, quickly gaining a 4-0 lead in the first with four hits and an error. They added three more in the second with an RBI double and a two-run homer for a 7-0 lead.Â
Nate Hoffman suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs in 1.1 innings. Tyson Reger was solid in a long relief appearance, giving up one earned run in five innings with six strikeouts.Â
UW-Superior put the finishing touches on the win with three more runs in the seventh on four hits and two errors.Â
The Vikings were limited to just five hits from five different players.Â
Game three to decide the series is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow at ISG Field.Â
Â