Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MANKATO, Minn. – Northwestern went into the Easter weekend with a doubleheader sweep over Bethany Lutheran College on Friday, winning 6-1 and 6-5. The Eagles have won five of their last six Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) games and with a 9-4 league record, are currently in third place in the conference standings.

UNW pitcher Lauren Silbernick (Osakis, Minn./Osakis) started things off with a seven-inning shutout of the Vikings as the freshman allowed just three hits from the 27 batters she faced, striking out two along the way. At the plate, Northwestern posted nine hits of its own, including three that went for extra bases. Doubles from Megan Threlkeld (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville), Jennifer Ankrom (New Hampton, Iowa/New Hampton) and Ellen Larkin (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) all brought in runs for the Eagles, who added two their already 2-0 lead with a four-run seventh frame to account for the final score.

Emily Geurkink (Baldwin, Wis./Baldwin-Woodville) was 2-2 with a walk during her time in the batter's box, scoring twice throughout the game.

Game 2 presented a little more anxiety for fans in attendance as what proved to be Northwestern's winning run didn't cross home plate until the seventh frame. After the Eagles started the game with one run in the first inning on another Threlkeld RBI double, Bethany Lutheran answered with three runs in the bottom half of the frame before adding another run in the second to lead 4-1.

UNW's response was two runs in each of the third and fourth frames. Ankrom picked up another RBI with her single through the left side that brought in Kelsey Stotman from third, while Larkin singled up the middle to score Geurkink.

One of Geurkink's three hits in the second game of Saturday's twin bill was a fourth inning triple that scored both Stoltman and Kaylee Foricer. Guerkink finished the day 5-5 with a bat in her hand, wrapping up the week with a .474 batting average and four extra-base hits in six games.

The Vikings tied things up with a solo run in the fifth inning, knotting the score at five runs apiece.

Maddie Pierro (Andover, Minn./Legacy) started Northwestern's seventh inning production with a double before advancing to third base on an Ashley Krantz (Andover, Minn./Andover) groundout. It was Forcier who then came through in the clutch as the freshman hit a two-out single to right field to score Pierro.

Silbernick, who relieved UNW starting pitcher Kaia Larson (Ramsey, Minn./Meadow Creek) in the sixth inning, then got a one-two-three seventh from Bethany in the bottom half of the frame to pick up her second win of the day and the seventh of the season.

Larson earned a no-decision as she allowed eight hits and four earned runs over five innings of work. Both of Silbernick's innings of work saw the Vikings bat just three players in three-up, three-down scenarios.

Northwestern, now 13-16, is peaking at the right time as six more UMAC games await the Eagles, with four of those contests coming next week. UNW will start its post-Easter schedule with a split doubleheader on Tuesday, April 22. Northwestern will face Northland College at 12 noon that day, followed by a 4 p.m. single game against the College of ST. Scholastica. Both games will be played in Ashland, Wis.