ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – A familiar feeling this season, the Bethel University softball team settled for a series split with Concordia Saturday afternoon at Ona Orth Athletic Complex. Bethel's comeback efforts came up short in game one 6-4, before a quick start in game two paced them to a 9-5 victory.
 
The Royals move to 14-15 overall and 8-6 in MIAC play.
 
Game 1: Concordia 6, Bethel 4
Concordia went up early taking advantage of a leadoff walk. A two-out double and a single up the middle drove in the Cobbers' early runs. Four more runs in the third on a grand slam and Concordia led 6-0 after three.
 
In the fourth, Autumn Earney broke up the Cobbers' no-hitter with a bunt single before Abby Otterness launched her third homer of the year to get the Royals within 6-2.
 
Mandalyn Franks notched a two-out double to the gap in right before Autumn Earney changed places with her on a ball to the fence in center. Earney scored one batter later as Camryn Thurow roped one up the middle, cutting the Royals' deficit to 6-4.  
 
The Royals were limited to one hit in their final two at bats. That came from Franks in the seventh before Earney walked as the tying run. Camryn Thurow laced one back to the Cobbers' pitcher who knocked it down for the final out.
 
Game 2: Bethel 9, Concordia 5
A two-out bases loaded hit-by-pitch to Julia Helget followed by a bases-loaded walk to Olivia Weinberg put the Royals up 2-0 after the first.
 
The Royals plated three in the third to go up 5-0. One run scored on an infield error early in the frame before Molly Closser notched an RBI groundout and Franks a RBI single to left.
 
Bethel got back-to-back leadoff singles in the fourth before an error loaded the bases. Helget drove in her second run of the game on a single to right before Weinberg did the same on a single to left.
 
Starter Abby Otterness had surrendered one hit in the first before retiring her next 11.
 
The Cobbers got on the board with a pinch-hit solo homer to left-center in the fifth before adding a four-spot on Otterness in the sixth. Three errors in the sixth made just one of those runs become earned.
 
Franks in the sixth added an insurance run as her deep fly to center scored pinch-runner Faith Tverberg for an unearned run.
 
Otterness got her first win of the season in a complete game effort where she walked none and struck out three.
 
UP NEXT
The Royals are back in action Tuesday at Augsburg in a MIAC doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m.
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