Wis. Luth. Game 1 | Wis Luth. Game 2 | TCNJ Box Score

CLERMONT, Fla. - The Bethel Royals softball team played their first games of the 2009 campaign today and earned victories in two of their three games. The Royals swept the Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors by scores of 13-1 and 6-1 in their doubleheader, but had their bats cooled by The College of New Jersey in a pitcher's duel, 2-1.

In game one against Wisconsin Lutheran, Bethel only got to bat in four innings, but they scored each time and induced the 10-run mercy rule after five innings. The Royals jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning by stringing together some hits and taking advantage of a pair of errors by the Warriors. Co-captain Karina Roe (Sr., Grey Eagle, Minn.) had one of the big hits of the inning with a double that knocked in two runs.

The Royals tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the second when newcomer Lynnae Thomson (Jr., Stewartville, Minn.) hit a sacrifice fly to score Lisa Patnode (Jr., Princeton, Minn.) from third base, while Lauren Habisch (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) came in to score on the throw as well.

Wisconsin Lutheran scored their only run off of starting pitcher Nea Harkness (Jr., Winthrop, Minn.) in the top of the third inning, but Bethel got the run back in the bottom of the third, and then some. Co-captain Tonia Erickson (Jr., Welcome, Minn.) doubled and then stole third base, allowing her to score easily on a wild pitch. Fellow co-captain Amber Beasley (Sr., Medina, Minn.) also scored to put the Royals up 10-1.

Bethel added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning by once again moving runners from station to station through hits and wild pitches. Wisconsin Lutheran's pitcher had three wild pitches and the Warriors committed four errors during the game. Harkness earned her first victory of the season by pitching four strong innings, striking out five. Kelsey Simmons (Jr., Guernsey, Wyo.) came in to pitch a scoreless fifth inning in relief.

In the second game, Bethel gained a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Erickson led off with a single and later came around to score on a passed ball. Harkness also singled for one of her three hits and came around to score by way of a Habisch single after stealing second and advancing on the same passed ball that scored Erickson.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Royals tacked on three more runs by taking advantage of Warrior miscues to increase their lead to 5-0. Wisconsin Lutheran scored their lone run off of starting pitcher Rebecca Akerson (So., Lakeville, Minn.) in the bottom of the sixth inning. Akerson pitched a complete game, giving up just three hits and walking two while striking out seven.

Bethel finished up a busy day with a game against The College of New Jersey Lions. The Lions scored in the top of the third inning off of starting pitcher Charitey Rowden (Jr., Shellsburg, Iowa), but then the Royals answered right back in the home half of the inning. Erickson scored Bethel's only run after leading off the inning on a single and then crossed home plate after a pair of errors and a bunt by Amber Beasley.

Unfortunately, the tie would not last, nor would Bethel be able to take the lead. The Lions scored off of reliever Harkness in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead at 2-1. Bethel was able to get Akerson in scoring position in the seventh inning with just one out, but no one was able to hit her in, leaving the score the same.

At the end of the first day of the new season, Bethel holds a 2-1 record and is scheduled to return to play on Monday, March 16, against both Messiah College and Keene State at the National Training Center.