Pella, Iowa. – Facing elimination twice on Friday, the No. 22nd-ranked Bethel University softball team came away with a pair of wins advancing to the Pella Regional final against the hosts, Central. The Royals opened the day with a 10-3 win over Wisconsin-Superior before avenging an opening-round loss to No. 15 Wisconsin-Whitewater with a 3-1 victory.
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#22 Bethel 10, UW-Superior 3
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Camryn Thurow drove in the game's first run on a hard single to center before
Abby Otterness scored on a throwing error by the Yellowjacket's catcher as
Sidney Bartels stole second.
• UWS evened it up in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer over the left field fence.
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Mikaela Girard drove in a pair in the third before
Lexi DeBace singled to center making it 5-2.
• In the fifth,
Autumn Earney drove in a pair with a double to center while
Abby Otterness drove in her first run of the game.
•  Otterness notched a RBI double in the seventh making it 9-2 before scoring a few batters later on a sacrifice fly from
Cortney Hokanson.
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Kayla Simacek picked up the win behind six strikeouts. She gave up two runs on four hits in six innings of work.
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#22 Bethel 3, #15 UW-Whitewater
• Staring elimination in the face again, the Royals found themselves down early as the Warhawks went up 1-0 in the second with a home run to center. Â
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Sidney Bartels found the equalizer in the fourth belting her third home run of the season that easily cleared the left field fence.
• Simacek made the Warhawks go three up and three down in the top of the fifth before BU's offense got back going.
• Earney notched a one-out single past the diving UW-Whitewater shortstop before Otterness singled through the left side. Thurow provided the go-ahead single up the middle scoring Earney easily from second.
• One batter later Bartels provided the insurance run with a single up the middle scoring Otterness.
• The Warhawks only got one to reach in their final two at-bats, which came on a fielding error by Earney at short.
• Simacek improved to 27-8 in the circle giving up one run on four hits while striking out five and walking none.
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UP NEXT
The Royals have a rematch of last year's final regional final against the Dutch. BU will need two wins to claim their third regional crown. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
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