Softball | 3/30/2015 6:43:00 PM

MIAC Softball Player-of-the-Week

The Bethel softball team opened MIAC play Saturday with a rematch of last season's MIAC Playoff championship game against No. 12-ranked St. Thomas and catcher Caroline Kivisto (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) was up to the tall task. After a 10-9 extra innings loss in game one, the Royals responded with a 7-2 win in the second game to split the series. Kivisto starred, going 6-for-8 with five RBI, three runs, a double and a home run. For her performance, the MIAC sports information directors honored Kivisto Monday with the MIAC Softball Athlete-of-the-Week award.

Kivisto got off to a good start in her team's MIAC opener, with a 3-for-4 performance with two runs, two RBI, a double and a home run in the narrow extra-innings loss to the defending champion Tommies. However, she again went 3-for-4, this time with three RBI and a run to lead Bethel to its 7-2 victory in game two. In the series, she was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run off three-time MIAC Pitcher-of-the-Year Kendra Bowe. This season, Kivisto is hitting .459 with 13 RBI, eight runs, four doubles and three home runs in 10 games.

Thanks to the split, Bethel is now 8-6 overall in 2015 and it opened conference play with a 1-1 record. The Royals will be back on the diamond Monday with a3:30 p.m. home doubleheader against UW-River Falls, and back in conference action on Tuesday with a trip to Macalester for a 4:30 p.m. twin bill. The team also hits the road Thursday to take on Saint Mary's at 3:30 p.m. in Winona.