PELLA, Iowa – Timely two-out hitting by Lexi DeBace drove in the game's lone run as the No. 11th-ranked Bethel University softball team defeated No. 22 Central, 1-0, Saturday afternoon to win the Pella Regional.
 
Bethel (36-3) advances to its second straight Super Regional where they square off against Linfield in a best-of-three series. Bethel will travel to McMinnville, Ore. where game one of the weekend takes place on Friday, May 26 at 2 p.m. pacific time, 4 p.m. central. 
 
Sidney Bartels drew a leadoff walk to start the fifth before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Cortney Hokanson. After Jordyn Rudolph fouled out, the Dutch intentionally walked Allie Fauth-Kilgore to load the bases.
 
DeBace then took an 0-1 pitch and found the gap between left and center driving in Bartels and putting BU ahead the rest of the game.
  The Royals worked out of jams early throwing a Central (33-11) runner out at third in the first and at second in the second.
 
Kayla Simacek (34-3) was doing work in the circle giving up four hits, only one of which came in the final three innings. She put a bow on it in the seventh getting a looking strikeout, the fifth of the game, while only issuing one walk. Simacek forced the Dutch five through nine hitters to go 0-for-12.

Simacek was named the Most Outstanding Player of the regional while also joining her on the All-Tournament team was Fauth-Kilgore and Bartels. For the tournament, Simacek gave up one earned run while striking out 25 in 23 innings of work.
 
It's the Royals' sixth shutout in the last seven games while improving on their now 26-game winning streak. Read Full Article