BOX SCORES: GAME ONE | GAME TWO

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Royals' softball program brought the brooms Wednesday, as Bethel University swept St. Olaf College in a double-header affair on “Senior Day” 5-4 and 3-0. BU received a sensational effort from Genna Bock (Sr., Circle Pines, Minn.), as the senior hurler pitched a complete game in both matchups. Furthermore, the Royals made some magic in the first game when coming from behind to defeat the Oles in eight innings.
 
Game one looked to be all Bethel early on, as the Royals posted a run in both the fourth and sixth inning. Logan Ahlness (So., Hanska, Minn.) was hit by a pitch in the fourth and came around to score when Megan Matson (Jr., Mound, Minn.) delivered a two-out single. In the sixth Angie Jackson (Fr., Oakdale, Minn.) scored after getting on base from an error and later scoring on a Tara Schinke (So., Long Lake, Minn.) single.
 
St. Olaf battled back to score three runs in the top of the seventh inning to capture the 3-2 lead, yet BU manufactured a run in the seventh to knot the game at three after seven. In the seventh the Royals had two outs and two strikes with Rachel Gilbert (Jr., Becker, Minn.) up to bat, however, Gilbert was hit by the pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a throwing error in the next at bat.  The Oles came back to apply the pressure again in the eighth when scoring a run in the top half of the frame, but BU persevered to score two runs in the bottom of the inning. Jackson led off with a single that was followed by a St. Olaf error, which put runners on first and third with nobody out. Schinke and Cristina Masten (So., Fergus Falls, Minn.) both found a way to drive the two base runners in, giving the Royals the opportunity to celebrate a game-one victory.
 
The Royals finished with seven hits and a walk; however, the Oles helped BU by tallying four errors. Nobody recorded a multi-hit game, yet Angie Jackson and Logan Ahlness each scored twice in the game.
 
Genna Bock toed the pitching rubber for the entire eight innings, allowing four earned runs and eight hits. Bock struck out four and walked just two in the complete game victory.
 
After honoring the seniors between games, the two teams headed back onto the field for game two. Heading back out to the mound was senior hurler, Bock, who ended game two with an absolute gem. In the second competition, the Royals defeated St. Olaf 3-0 and the Circle Pines, Minn. native allowed just two hits. Bock was incredible in the seven-inning battle, striking out six and walking three in her first collegiate complete-game shutout.
 
Players around Bock were equally exceptional, as the Royals defense played outstanding throughout all 15 innings throughout the day. For the fourth straight game, Bethel University played the entire game without a single error.

Bethel got one run in the second and two in the fifth, as Kalyn Sorensen (Fr., Maple Grove, Minn.) had some clutch hitting that enabled her to go 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. Jessica Pudwill (Sr., Detroit Lakes, Minn.) also went 1-for-2 with the only RBI of the game. BU escaped a few close calls throughout the matinee, but much can be credited to Bock and the Bethel defense. Bock now improves to 5-10 with the two wins on the day and brought her season ERA down significantly.

With the win, the Royals improve to 13-21 overall and 7-9 within conference play. Despite having a sub-.500 MIAC record, Bethel still hopes to be in the hunt come conference playoff time. BU will have to prove itself as they try to go back-to-back days with series sweeps, as they welcome Concordia College to the stadium Thursday.