Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - The Ona Orth Athletic Complex has given the Bethel Royals a true home field advantage this season, and today proved to be no exception as the softball team swept the visiting St. Olaf Oles 5-2, and 9-0.
Kelly Berg (So., South Haven, Minn.) put the Royals up 2-0 with a home run in the first inning of the first game, but it wasn't quite enough to keep the Oles down completely. The visitors scored two runs of their own in the top of the third off of starting pitcher Rebecca Akerson (So., Lakeville, Minn.). However, Akerson helped herself out by singling in the bottom of the fourth to bring home
Lauren Habisch (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) for what proved to be the game-winning run. St. Olaf was unable to retaliate in their next at bat, and with singles by Habisch, Akerson, and
Amber Beasley (Sr., Medina, Minn.), and
Lisa Patnode (Jr., Princeton, Minn.), Bethel went up two more runs and finished the game 5-2.
From the pitcher's mound, Akerson took care of the Ole hitters almost single-handedly as 13 of the 21 outs she got came by way of strike out in her seven innings. She struck out the side twice and allowed only three hits, but also walked three batters. Her 13 strikeouts are the highest any Bethel pitcher has posted in one seven-inning game in more than five years. Current pitching coach Angela Vedders struck out 12 in one game as a senior in 2006 and
Charitey Rowden (Jr., Shellsburg, Iowa) struck out 14 batters in a 12-inning game against Concordia-Moorhead in 2007.
Though the second game started relatively slow with just one run scored in the first on a Patnode single, the second inning proved to be a fireworks show of runs for the Royals. Two singles by Beasley, one by Akerson, Habisch,
Tonia Erickson (Jr., Welcome, Minn.),
Lynnae Thompson (Jr., Stewartville, Minn.) and another by Patnode gave the Royals five runs to put them up 6-0 very quickly.
Bethel took the next inning off – at least in the scoring department - but was back at it again in the bottom of the fourth when they scored their final three runs. Thompson and Patnode each got their third hits of the game, and Akerson singled, bringing in a runner. Akerson would later score on a wild throw from the St. Olaf mound. When the dust finally settled over home plate, the Royals had won 9-0.
Both Thompson and Patnode were a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, with Thompson batting in three runs, while three other Royals had two hits apiece. One of those players to get two hits was
Ashley Lindberg (Jr., Sartell, Minn.), who had two doubles. Unfortunately, Lindberg left the game after the bottom of the third inning as she suffered an injury trying to get back to second base on a pop fly.
Nea Harkness (Jr., Winthrop, Minn.) threw a three-hit shutout in her five innings of play to solidify the Royal victory. She did not allow any walks and had four strikeouts in her second complete game shutout of the season.
The wins come at a nice time for the Royals after the difficult losses to Hamline last week. The team now has a 19-15 overall and a 10-6 conference record – not a bad heading down the stretch of the regular season. Bethel is now scheduled to take on Saint Benedict at 4 p.m. in St. Joseph on Friday.
