Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROSEMOUNT, Minn. – The Northwestern College softball team rounded out its weekend of Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play with a doubleheader versus Bethany Lutheran College on Saturday afternoon, going 1-1 on the day. The Eagles dropped the first contest 2-1 before rebounding with a high-offensive 9-3 victory in the second game.

Neither team was able to get much rolling in the first contest, as both squads combined for eight total hits in the seven innings of play. Bethany Lutheran first got on the board in the top of the second, after a double closely followed by another hit sent the runner home, giving the visiting team a 1-0 advantage.

NWC notched its first hit in the bottom of the fourth as Ali Witthus (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) sent a single to shortstop, advancing walked batter Morgan Pfaff (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) to third. That was as close as the Eagles got in the inning, however, leaving the score at 1-0 for much of the contest remainder.

As the top of the seventh ensued, BLC notched another run to double its advantage. The Eagles quickly responded in their next at-bat with Anna Schurch (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) arriving at first with the credit for NWC's second hit of the game. Molly Johnsen (Floodwood, Minn./Floodwood) pushed Schurch to second with a sacrifice bunt before a defensive error allowed her room to score for her team. The home team on the scoreboard would get two more runners on base before the inning ended, but it was not enough to even the 2-1 margin of victory for Bethany Lutheran.

The second matchup saw Northwestern get out of a pressure situation in the second inning, as the Vikings had the bases loaded with just two outs. A Schurch strikeout and defensive play ended the BLC momentum, and kept the score tied at 0-0 for the next inning.

The Purple and Gold began to apply its own pressure in the third, as two walks and a stolen base by Witthus brought NWC within scoring range. Briana Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) picked up credit for two runs batted in (RBI), and would later be brought home by a Lauren Young (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) ball down the left field line. The 3-0 run provided the home team with its first lead of both the contest and day heading into the fourth.

The visiting team would cut into the advantage with a run in its next trip to the batter's box, but the inning ended before any more scoring would take place. The Eagles would be the next team to cross home plate with Kelsey Stoltman (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) reaching on an error, providing a bit more cushion to the 4-1 ball game.
Bethany Lutheran was far from done on the offensive front, converting on two scoring opportunities to bring the score within one in the sixth before a five-run rally would take over the contest in Northwestern's favor in the bottom half of the inning.

Johnsen, Witthus, and Stoltman were the first three to get on base in the run, and Johnsen was the first to make it home after she beat the tag on a wild pitch. Kristin Sigurdsen (Barron, Wis./Barron) drew the walk, setting the stage for arguably the best play of freshman Megan VanHulzen (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center)'s young career, a grand slam homer sent past the Irish Sports Dome fence. VanHulzen picked up four RBI in the process, securing what would be the final 9-3 score after three defensive outs by the Eagles to end the second matchup.

Both Schurch and Johnsen combined for time on the mound throughout the two contests, striking out 15 batters while walking just two. VanHulzen and Rodgers led the way on offense, tallying four and two RBI respectively on the day.

After a busy week full of made-up and scheduled games, Northwestern (12-16, 7-6 UMAC) has a brief break before returning to action on Tuesday, April 23 when it is scheduled to host a split-doubleheader with the College of St. Scholastica and Northland College. The Eagles will take on St. Scholastica at 3 p.m., followed by Northland two hours later.