ST. PAUL—The Bethel University softball team split Thursday afternoon's doubleheader at Hamline by final scores of 2-5 and 10-1 (6 inn.).
 
Game One
 
Scoreless going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Hamline broke a 0-0 tie with a pair of runs off two RBI-singles. BU cut into the lead with a run in the top of the fifth to make it 2-1, but the Pipers added two more in the fifth and one in the sixth to extend their lead to 5-1 before Bethel's seventh-inning rally. Hannah Hensley hit an RBI-single down the left field line, but Hamline limited BU to just one run and finished with the 5-2 triumph. 
 
Anna Nichols pitched all six innings for the Royals giving up five runs on 15 hits, while striking out one. Nichols' record is now 5-9 on the season. Nichols also led the Royals at the plate, as she tallied two of Bethel's seven hits in her four plate appearances. Unfortunately, BU left 10 runners on base throughout the game. 

Game Two
 
The Royals pounced on the Pipers early and often in game two, getting a 10-1 win and snapping their three game losing streak. Jana Roste went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Hannah Hensley had a big three-run double in the sixth inning that stretched the lead to 9-1.
 
The Royals chased Piper's starter Sarah DeMars out in the fourth inning. Hannah Schmidt earned the win for the Royals, allowing one run on three hits and six walks over six innings, while also striking out one.

The Royals out-hit the Pipers 17-3 thanks to five players having multi-hit games in the second tilt. In addition to Roste and Hensley's performance at the plate, Maddie Fauth finished 4-for-4 with one RBI and two runs, Mariah Uphoff went 4-for-5 with one run,  and Alexa Hanowski went 2-for-4 with one run.

Bethel's record after Thursday's games at Hamline is 8-13 with a 4-4 mark in conference play. The Royals will be action on Saturday when they play a doubleheader against Saint Benedict at Ora Orth Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and both teams look to use Saturday's game as an opportunity to raise awareness for cancer research through a strikeout cancer game.