ST. PAUL, Minn. – Autumn Earney drove in a combined three runs and scored four times herself while Kayla Simacek picked up both wins in the circle as the No. 17th-ranked Bethel University softball team extended its winning streak to eight games with a sweep of Macalester Saturday afternoon in St. Paul. Earney tallied a multi-RBI performance in the Royals 10-3 game one victory before Simacek shutout the Scots in game two, 9-0 in five innings.

The win improves the Royals to 25-7 on the year, their fifth consecutive 25-win season, and 14-4 in MIAC play where they secure a spot in the MIAC Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. 
 
Game 1: #17 Bethel 10, Macalester 3
• Lexi DeBace put the Royals on the board in the second when her single to left scored Mikaela Girard.
• Earney notched her first RBI of the game drawing a bases loaded walk one batter later putting BU up 2-0. She followed that up two innings later with her third home run of the season clearing the left field fence making it 3-0.
• Macalester made a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth haunt, scoring that runner with two outs.
• The Royals exploded for seven runs in their half of the seventh, sending 11 hitters to the plate. After the first three runners of the frame reached, Cortney Hokanson displayed some fireworks with a grand slam that cleared the right-center fence.  
• Simacek struk out nine in her six innings of work. Rylee Blandin tossed the seventh inning giving up two runs on three hits.
 
Game 2: #17 Bethel 9, Macalester 0 (5 innings)
• Simacek stayed strong in the circle picking up her 20th win of the season by tossing a three-hit shutout where she struck out nine and issued no walks.
• Going 2-for-4 Lexi DeBace extends her on-base streak to a team-best 17 games while also getting her first multi-RBI game of the season.
• Bethel plated a pair of unearned runs in its opening at bat before Kayla Hokanson's sacrifice fly to left in the third put the Royals up three.
• Mandalyn Franks drew a bases loaded walk as part of a six-run fifth inning. One batter latter DeBace drove in a pair with a slap double right over the left fielder's head.
• Earney got her third RBI of the day legging out an infield single that scored Franks. She also swiped three bags in the game.
 
UP NEXT
Due to projected inclement weather the Royals doubleheader with St. Scholastica that was scheduled for Sunday has been moved to Tuesday, April 30. First pitch comes at 3:30 p.m.

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