Bethany Lutheran College Athletics

WHITEWATER, Wis. - Trailing by one in the ninth, Bethany baseball rallied for a pair of runs and closed out the bottom half to shock the defending national champion UW-Whitewater 8-7 on its home turf Saturday. The Vikings (33-6) advance to the region championship without a loss in the double elimination bracket and will face the winner of Macalester and UW-Whitewater at 11 a.m. Sunday. 

The heart of the lineup carried the offense as Xander Meissner, Yunior Pena, Gary Swann, and Vincent Curzie combined for seven hits, six RBI, two doubles, and three home runs.

Swann got the scoring started in the second with his sixth home run of the season. In third, Josh Miller hit a one-out single, stole second, and scored on a double by Max Athmann. 

UW-Whitewater tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom half after a single, error, and two-run single up the middle. The Vikings quickly regained the lead in the fourth after three walks and a wild pitch to score Pena.

The visitors then took a 5-2 lead in the fifth. Jayden Knutson coaxed a leadoff walk, stole second, tagged up and went to third on a fly out by Athmann, and then scored on a Meissner groundout. Pena ensued with an opposite field home run - his 11th of the season. The Warhawks got one run back in the bottom half after a couple hits and a sac fly, ending Adryen Tietz day on the mound. Tietz went 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and two strikeouts. 

Whitewater tied the game for the second time in the sixth with a single, walk, and two-run double down the right field line, but Meissner led off the seventh with a solo shot to left for his 11th homer of the season and a 6-5 advantage. 

The defending national champs took their first lead of the game in the eighth after a couple singles, a hit by pitch, and then a two-run base hit to go ahead 7-6. Sean Gamble exited after 3.1 innings of relief, allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Riston Wojcik was able to get out of the inning with a ground out. 

Like he did in the seventh, Meissner sparked the offense again in the ninth with a leadoff double - his team-leading 15th of the season. Pena then delivered the game-tying hit with his 10th double of the season. Two batters and a pitching change later, Curzie singled to center field, allowing Pena to beat the throw home for what proved to be the game-winning run. 

Wojcik set the Warhawks down in order in the bottom of the ninth, improving his record to 4-1. Wojcik retired all four batters he faced. 

Meissner (2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR), Pena (2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, BB), and Curzie (2-4. RBI, BB) led the Vikings with two hits apiece. 

Bethany is playing in the regional championship for the first time in program history with its sights on the Super Regionals next weekend at a site to be determined. 
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