ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – A three-hit shutout by junior right-hander Hannah Schmidt led the Bethel University softball team to a 3-0 victory in the opener over Gustavus Adolphus Saturday afternoon at Ona Orth Athletic Complex. The Gusties took the backend of the twin bill 3-1 thanks to a two-run seventh inning.

The split moves Bethel to 21-9 on the year and 6-8 in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Royals open up an eight game road trip to close out the regular season on Monday, April 22 at Saint Mary's University. The doubleheader in Winona is set to begin at 3 p.m.

Game 1: Bethel 3, Gustavus Adolphus 0
It started out as a pitcher's duel in which Schmidt worked out of jams in the first and second. The Royals erased a leadoff single in the fourth with a groundball to short where Jamie Axelberg stepped on the bag at second and then threw to first for the double play.

The Royals stranded a total of four runners going into the fifth, but this time around Bethel found a way to push a run across. Maddie Fauth started out the half inning with a hit-by-pitch on her senior day.  A sacrifice bunt by Lexi DeBace moved Fauth into scoring position before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Mariah Uphoff drove in Fauth for the game's first run connecting on the first pitch she saw sending it just inside the left field line.

The Royals plated two more in the sixth with Kayla Hokanson's two RBI single that snuck past a diving second baseman. The single scored Jamie Axelberg, who led off the inning with a walk, and Alexa Hanowski who reached on a double the at bat before.

Schmidt (8-4) recorded back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to close out the game. In the three-hit complete game effort she struck out two, walked one and retired the final 11 batters she faced.  

Game 2: Gustavus Adolphus 3, Bethel 1
Things started identical to game one in that neither team put a run on the scoreboard through the first four innings. The Royals saw their best opportunity to break the scoreless tie in the fourth with bases loaded on two separate occasions, but a pair of fielder choice plays at the plate denied the Royals a run.

Calli Maki forced the Gusties to strand runners in scoring position in the third and fourth, but an unearned run crossed the plate in the fifth to give Gustavus a 1-0 lead. The Gusties added on to their lead taking advantage of a pair of Royal errors with two runs in the seventh taking a three run lead.

Megan Thurow came in to relieve Maki in the seventh where she struck out the side.

The Royals tried to mount a comeback in the seventh with two outs. Amanda Gemuenden singled through the left side before Axelberg doubled to the left center wall to break up the shutout. Hanowski was inches away from keeping the Royals hopes alive but a sharp lineout found its way into the Gusties third baseman's glove.