Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

WINONA, Minn. - The Royals had their five-game winning streak snapped by the Saint Mary's Cardinals in game one of today's doubleheader 3-2, but they bounced back to win game two 5-1 to earn a series split.

In game one, Bethel took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Lead-off hitter and All-MIAC catcher Molly Trombley (Sr., Stacy, Minn.) reached first base on an error.  The next batter, Amber Beasley (Jr., Medina, Minn.), helped her advance to second with a sacrifice bunt.  Laura Naig (Sr., Kasson, Minn.) hit a single, moving Trombley to third and then stole second base.  Trombley came in to score on the throw attempting to throw out Naig.

However, St. Mary's answered with two runs in the bottom of the first against Bethel's starting pitcher, Charitey Rowden (So., Shellsburg, Iowa).  Rowden then settled in to pitch four consecutive innings of scoreless softball.

The Royals tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning when Karina Roe (Jr., Grey Eagle, Minn.) hit a one-out double and then came around to score on a Beasley single. 

Kelly Berg (Fr., South Haven, Minn.) led off the sixth inning with a double, but was stranded at second for the remainder of the half inning.  The Royals left five runners on base during the course of the game.

Saint Mary's took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning when Katy Gannon reached on an error and came around to score after a Mallory Betzold double and Danielle Geske single.

Rowden took the loss, allowing three runs on 13 hits.  She struck out four Cardinal batters and did not walk any.

In game two, Bethel used a four-run third inning to come from behind to win for the sixth time in seven games.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Royals got the bats going in the third with a lead-off single by starting pitcher, Nea Harkness (So., Winthrop, Minn.).  Trombley then reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second.  What was intended to be a sacrifice bunt by Lisa Patnode (So., Princeton, Minn.) turned into an infield single to load the bases.  Naig then hit a double to bring in two runs, giving her a team-best 17 RBI.  Lauren Habisch (So., Lakeville, Minn.) followed up with a two-run single to put Bethel up 4-1.

The Royals tacked on one more run in the seventh inning when Naig hit a RBI single to score pinch runner Kelsey Kramer (Fr., Roseville, Minn.), who was running place of Trombley who had singled.

Harkness made her first start in more than two weeks and threw her third complete game of the season.  She allowed just four hits and struck out a batter in her seven innings of work for her third win.

Bethel moves to 11-8 overall and 3-1 in the MIAC with the split, while Saint Mary's is now 6-12 overall, but 5-1 in the conference.  The Royals are scheduled to take on Concordia-Moorhead tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m., which is an hour earlier than originally scheduled, at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex.