WINONA, Minn. – It was another historic day for junior right-hander
Kayla Simacek tossing her fourth career no hitter while matching a program single-season record 19 wins in the circle. The 14th-ranked Bethel University softball team extended its winning streak to 18 with a pair of wins over Saint Mary's University 2-0 and 3-0.
In the two shutouts, Simacek combined for 19 strikeouts and no walks. Improving to 19-1 on the year she matches Karli Persson's win mark from 2013.
Bethel improved to 20-2 on the year and 9-0 in MIAC play.
Game 1 | #14 Bethel 2, Saint Mary's 0
The only thing keep Simacek from a perfect game was a lone Bethel error. The Royals made up for it though pushing a pair of runs across late.
BU took advantage of an early error in the fifth by the Cardinals. Pinch runner
Hailey Rismeyer worked her way to third with a stolen base followed by a passed ball. She would score on a RBI sacrifice fly from
Sadie Hanzalik.
Simacek struck out five of the first nine she faced. BU made up for its error in the fifth getting out of it by catching the runner trying to swipe second.
Working from the top of the order in the sixth
Allie Fauth started with a single before moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later,
Kayla Hokanson drove in Fauth with a single to left field.
Simacek capped out the no-hitter with her 11th strikeout for the game one victory.
Game 2 | #14 Bethel 3, Saint Mary's 0
It was another pitcher's duel where both teams only had two hits through four innings of play. The Royals erased the Cardinals second hit of the game in the fourth off the base paths with an inning ending double play.
BU broke the scoreless tie with some two-out production. With the bases loaded,
Lexi DeBace sent the first pitch she saw up the middle scoring runners from second and third.
Nine hitter
Autumn Earney provided an insurance run belting her second home run of the year over the center field fence.
The Cardinals got a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh before Simacek closed it out with back-to-back looking strikeouts followed by a groundout.
Up Next
Bethel kicks off a nine-game homestand hosting Hamline in a single game Thursday evening closing out the series that started back on April 3. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.
