ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Bethel University softball team split with Carleton Saturday afternoon at Ona Orth Athletic Complex. The Royals bats were hot in game one doing all of its productions in the first two frames to win 10-2 in five innings. Bethel dropped game two in extras, 7-5.
 
Bethel now sits 9-10 on the year and 3-1 in MIAC play.
 
Game 1: Bethel 10, Carleton 2 (5 innings)
A six-run first carried the Royals to a game-one victory. After Carleton put up a pair in the top of the inning, BU's first six hitters reached, highlighted by Sidney Bartels' RBI single to left and Camryn Thurow's rope up the middle drove in two more.
 
With the bases loaded, Mandalyn Franks capped out the frame with a bases-clearing triple on a ball that sailed over the left fielder's head and to the fence.
 
Olivia Weinberg extended BU's advantage to 9-2 with a double to left that brought in three runs. One batter later Julia Helget roped one up the middle, scoring Weinberg.
 
Right-hander Dominique Walicke gave up five hits through the first two frames before retiring the final seven she faced. Striking out three and issuing no walks she improved to 7-3 in the circle.
 
Abby Otterness tossed a scoreless fifth for the Royals where she walked one and struck out one.
 
Game 2: Carleton 7, Bethel 5 (8 innings)
After Carleton scored its leadoff single in the first, Bethel tied it up in the second on an RBI double from Franks, scoring Helget from the first with two outs.
 
The Knights did the same thing in third scoring their leadoff single to go up 2-1, but Bethel responded in the bottom of the frame taking the lead back with a three-spot. Ellie Baker drove in a pair with a single to center before Helget was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
Carleton took back the lead in the fifth with a three-spot. A sacrifice fly tied it while a throwing error by the Royals moved a runner over to third. That go-ahead run scored on the next batter who reached on a drop third strike that would have been the final out of the inning.
 
The Royals rallied in the seventh with two outs as Kayley Frenette tripled to right, on ball just out of reach of a diving outfielder, scoring pinch runner Molly Closser from first tying it at 5-5.
 
With the international tie-breaker rule in effect, where a runner is placed at second to start the inning, Carleton pushed two runs across in the eighth.
Helget singled in the eighth for BU and moved into second on the throw toward home. Franks then sent a screaming line drive where the Knight's second baseman reached out to make the snag and stepped on second to double up the runner. A groundout a batter later closed things out.
 
UP NEXT
Bethel hits the road on Tuesday, April 8 traveling to St. Olaf for a conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
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