Bethany Lutheran College Athletics

MANKATO, Minn. - For the second straight year, and fifth time in the past eight seasons, Bethany baseball is going dancing. The Vikings (31-6) beat UW-Superior 10-4 in the UMAC playoff championship game Saturday at ISG Field, advancing to the NCAA regional next weekend. The NCAA tournament field will be announced during the selection show on NCAA.com at 11 a.m. Monday. 

Yunior Pena was named the tournament MVP after batting 8-for-13 with eight runs, four home runs, seven RBI, and a double in three games. 

The Vikings got the scoring started right away in the first. Jayden Knutson led off with a walk and two batters later, Xander Meissner blasted his 10th home run of the season on top of the suites in right field. 

After retiring the first eight batters of the game, Caeden Willaert allowed two runs in the third and was relieved by Tyson Reger, who limited the damage and got out of the inning tied 2-2.

The Yellowjackets took a 3-2 lead in the fourth with a solo shot that barely cleared the fence in front of the Bethany bullpen in right. Bethany answered in the bottom half as Pena hit his 10th home run of the season to center field to tie the game. 

The Vikings blew the game wide open in the sixth with six runs. Gary Swann recorded his 100th career hit with an RBI single, Pena scored on a balk, Parker Anderson hit an RBI single, Kyle Carlberg hit a bloop RBI single with the infield playing in, and Knutson capped the scoring with a two-run single up the middle for a 9-3 lead. 

Seth Jones hit a pinch hit RBI single in the seventh to plate the final run. 

Tyson Reger earned the win in relief, pitching 3.1 innings. He allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts. Aidan Byrd pitched two strong innings, setting up Sean Gamble for a hitless ninth. 

Pena (2-4, 2 R, RBI, HR) and Swann (2-4, R, RBI) led the Vikings at the plate. 

Entering today's game, Bethany was ranked third in Region IX and 36th in Division III. 
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