MINNEAPOLIS – Bethel University head softball coach Penny Foore, who is in her 11th season with the team, collected her 250th career win as the Royals split with Augsburg Tuesday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Royals dropped a one-run game one, 2-1, before bouncing back with a 9-6 victory in game two.
 
The Royals are now 15-16 on the year and 9-7 in conference play.
 
Game 1: Augsburg 2, Bethel 1
Augsburg broke the scoreless pitcher's duel with a solo homer in the bottom of the third.
 
Bethel put a runner in scoring position in both the fourth and fifth innings but couldn't push a run across. In the sixth, BU put its first two aboard before a pop-up on a sacrifice bunt attempt and a double play stranded another runner.
 
Back-to-back doubles for the Auggies in the sixth put the Royals' deficit at 2-0 entering the seventh.
 
Singles by Autumn Earney and Mikaela Girard put runners at the corners before Earney scored on an infield single by Abby Otterness. BU's two-out rally ended quickly after that as pinch-runner Faith Tverberg was put out at third on a fielder's choice play.
 
Dominique Walicke suffered the loss, giving up six hits while walking two and striking out five.
 
Game 2: Bethel 9, Augsburg 6
Jumping out to a 9-0 lead, Bethel held off a comeback effort from the Auggies who finished the game with six unanswered runs.
 
Walicke, who entered in the fifth as the Royals' second reliever, forced the Auggies to strand the bases loaded in the sixth and keeping the lead at 9-6. She would pick up the save, giving up just one hit in the final three frames while getting a double play ball to end it.
 
Bethel produced an unearned run in the first before Olivia Weinberg drove in a run with a double to center and then scored two batters later on a successful double steal.
 
BU expanded on its 3-0 lead with a six-spot in the third. Sidney Bartels drove in a pair on a double to left before scoring one batter later on an Auggie error. Julia Helget drove in another with a double to the gap in left before scoring on a single up the middle by Molly Closser.
 
Closser scored BU's final run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Girard.
 
Augsburg put up three runs in the third and fourth.
 
Picking up the win was Kayley Frenette, who tossed an inning of relief where she gave up one run on two hits.
 
UP NEXT
Bethel hosts Macalester on Saturday, April 2 Read Full Article