NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Behind a pair of shutouts from senior right-hander Kayla Simacek, the No. 9th-ranked Bethel University softball team finished with a perfect 20-0 mark in MIAC play. The Royals swept Carleton Monday afternoon finishing up Saturday's halted game, 2-0, before taking the night cap 1-0.
 
The perfect conference mark is the first from a MIAC squad since 2013 when St. Thomas achieved the same mark.  BU overall improves to 31-3 and will enter the MIAC Playoffs with a 21-game winning streak.
 
Simacek combined for 20 strikeouts and one walk while giving up five hits.
 
Game 1: #9 Bethel 2, Carleton 0
• Five innings were played on Saturday before a heavy downpour caused the game to be halted and moved to Monday.
• Jordyn Rudolph brought in both runs for the Royals driving in Autumn Earney in the second and Izzy Wilhelm in the in the fourth.
• Her first RBI came on a single that split the shortstop and third basemen before having a deep enough fly out to center driving in her second run.
• Simacek put Carleton three up and three down with a pair of strikeouts in both the sixth and seventh.
 
Game 2: #9 Bethel 1, Carleton 0
• BU had early scoring changes in the first and second but stranded a runner at third in each at bat.
• Lexi DeBace in the third would drive in the Royals lone run scoring Allie Fauth who reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and then advanced to third on an error.
• After Carleton had a hit in the first and second, Simacek retired 12 straight with five coming via the strikeout.
• The Knights would leg out an infield single in the seventh before Simacek got a fly out, pop out and a line out.
 
UP NEXT
The Royals will host the semifinals and championship game of the MIAC Playoffs on Saturday, May 13. Bethel will take on the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal matchup between No. 4 Gustavus and No. 5 St. Catherine at 11 a.m. A win would send them to the MIAC championship game at 4 p.m.


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