MIAC Release

The Bethel softball team went 4-2 last week to finish out its spring trip to Clermont, Fla., behind a great week on the mound from junior Courtney Saurer (Chanhassen, Minn.). The Royals' pitcher had a 1.00 ERA in three appearances (14 innings) as she went 1-1, allowing just two earned runs on 17 hits and two walks with four strikeouts, and she threw a gem in a narrow loss to the nation's No. 1-ranked team. For her pitching performance, Saurer was named the MIAC Softball Pitcher-of-the-Week.

Saurer threw one inning of one-hit relief Tuesday in a 4-1 loss to Fontbonne, then followed that up with a pair of brilliant starts. She earned the complete-game win a day later in a 7-1 win over Rampao as she allowed just one earned run on eight hits, one walk and three strikeouts in seven innings. However, she may have been most impressive in defeat. Thursday, Saurer held the nation's No. 1-ranked team and 2013 National Champion Tufts to just one run over six innings in a narrow 1-0 loss. She gave up just eight hits and one walk with one strikeout against the top-ranked team in Division III.

Thanks to last week's 4-2 record, and 5-3 performance overall on the spring trip, the Royals improved to 7-5 this season. Bethel will now prepare for the start of conference play, where it will open with a rematch of the 2013 MIAC Playoff Championship game. Bethel hosts defending champ St. Thomas to open the MIAC season in a doubleheaderSunday at 2 p.m.