Bethel University's softball team saw their sensational season come to a close Saturday evening, as the Royals—who defeated Hamline University in Saturday's opener—fell to St. Thomas in the elimination game by a final score of 5-0. Unfortunately for BU, Saturday's results wasn't how the Royals envisioned the MIAC Playoffs, but Bethel's squad will always hold the 2015 MIAC regular season championship—something that up until this season had never been done before. Bethel's streak of two consecutive MIAC Championships will now come to an end, however, because of their 28-15 record (.651) on the season, this team has now set the new standard for winning percentage. Moreover, their 28 wins overall and 18 in conference play both set a new program record. Congratulations to the Royals on a great season.
Matt Higgins, MIAC Assistant Executive Director
NO 2. HAMLINE 4, NO. 1 BETHEL 12 (5 inn.) | Box Score | Photos |
After both getting shut out in Friday losses, both the Bethel and Hamline bats were much louder in Saturday's first game. However, the Royals' had the hotter bats as they put up 12 runs on 13 hits keyed by a six-run rally to open the game en route to a 12-4 win in five innings. Hamline managed four runs on seven hits, and saw their postseason come to an end.
Bethel shortstop Angie Jackson both started and finished the first-inning rally with a leadoff walk and the game's first run on a Kelsey Anderson RBI single, and she capped it with a two-run single to make it 6-0 Royals. In between, Caroline Kivisto drove in a run with a single and Grace Thompson and Brooke Charleston each had an RBI on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively.
Hamline answered back with its four runs in the top of the third, and it looked like the tournament's top two seeds were gearing up for a back-and-forth slugfest. The Pipers loaded the bases and Mary-Clare Couillard emptied them with a three-run double. She moved over to third and came in to score on Chelsea Koehn's sacrifice fly to center and suddenly, Bethel's lead had dwindled to 6-4.
However, the Royals roared back with three runs in each of the next two innings to invoke the eight-run rule after five innings. In the fourth, Abbie Bircher drove in a run with a single and another scored on interference on the play, then Bircher scored on an errant throw a few plays later. In the fifth, Anderson drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, Kivisto smacked a run-scoring double and scored on an error to end the game.
Four Bethel players had multi-hit games, led by Kivisto who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Anderson was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, Kalyn Sorenson and Bircher each had two hits and Jackson drove in a pair. Karli Persson earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief, as she allowed just two hits and a walk. Lindsay Edeen started and allowed four runs on five hits with one strikeout in two-plus innings of work.
Couillard led Hamline with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with three RBI and one run scored. Koehn drove in the Pipers' other run, Elaina Hammann was 2-for-2 with a run scored and Jamie Rubbelke, Amanda Orrell and Allie Ruter each had a hit. Sarah DeMars took the loss, allowing six runs on four hits and a walk in 0.1 innings, and Casey Anderson worked the final 4.1, allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
NO. 4 ST. THOMAS 5, NO. 1 BETHEL 0 | Box Score | Photos |
Saturday's final game would advance one team to Sunday's championship and send the other home in a classic MIAC postseason matchup, as St. Thomas and Bethel met in each of the previous two championships games. This time, the Tommies upset the top-seeded Royals thanks to a combined shutout by pitchers Breezy Bannon, Kendra Bowe and Katie Jo Delisle, as the big hits evaded Bethel throughout UST's 5-0 win.
After managing just one hit and two base runners in the previous game, St. Thomas reversed that trend in a hurry as it jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Megan Dupuis worked a one-out walk, Briana Peterson followed with a double, and Dupuis came around to score on a Bethel error. Annie Boyer dropped down a squeeze bunt to plate Peterson and Micaela Trainor drilled an RBI double to give the Tommies an early three-run cushion.
Bethel had a serious threat going in the bottom of the third as Brooke Charleston led off with a single and Shelbi Swenson worked a walk, but St. Thomas got a pair of strikeouts around a harmless grounder to short to avoid any damage and keep a zero on the scoreboard. The Royals got two more hits in the next frame, but again couldn't get the big hit when they needed it.
After dodging a couple Bethel bullets, St. Thomas used the long ball to extend its lead to start each of the next two innings. Dupuis led off the top of the fifth with a solo home run to push the lead to 4-0, and Trainor duplicated the feat with a solo shot to center field to open the sixth inning. UST went on to load the bases with one out in the sixth, but Bethel's Edeen worked out of the jam without further damage. The Royals got a two-out hit in the bottom of the sixth, but Bowe retired the final four hitters to close out the combined shutout.
Bannon started and tossed two scoreless innings with two hits allowed and one strikeout. Bowe and Deslile shared the final five innings, with Bowe picking up the win in 3.2 innings of relieve with two hits and one walk against three strikeouts, and Delise struck out two and allowed one walk and one hit in 1.1 innings of work. Trainor led the Tommie offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run, Dupuis scored twice and nine different UST batters collected hits.
Abbie Bircher led the Royals with her 2-for-3 day at te plate, and Micayla Moore, Brooke Charleston and Kalyn Sorenson also had a hit for Bethel. Karli Persson started and took the loss, although just one of her four runs was earned as she gave up six hits and one walk with three strikeouts in five innings. Lindsay Edeen finished up, allowing one run on four hits over the final two innings.
