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ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The University of Northwestern's 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Bethany Lutheran College put the Eagles in the UMAC Tournament championship game for the third straight year.

With the exception of a sixth inning hiccup, pitcher Connor Olson (Mahtomedi, Minn/Mahtomedi) was full steam ahead for Northwestern on the mound, throwing eight innings of run-free baseball, allowing eight hits while striking out three Vikings batters.

Trailing 2-0 after a pair of RBI singles put Bethany Lutheran, the tournament's No. 4 seed, ahead in the top of the sixth, Northwestern responded with all four of their runs in the bottom half of the inning. Andy Peterson (Rogers, Minn./Rogers), who hit a three-run home run in the Eagles' second game on Friday, led the Eagles' at-bat off with a double before Ryan Sutterer (Anoka, Minn./Anoka ) and Matt Doss (Pillager, Minn./Pillager) loaded the bases with a walk and a single. Cue Austin Adamson (Willmar, Minn./Willmar), who doubled down the left field line to score both Peterson and Sutterer. Two batters later, Aaron Rau (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge)'s single through the left side brought in Adamson and Doss, giving the Eagles' a two-run edge on the scoreboard.

Bethany Lutheran had base runners in all three of the remaining innings, but Olson and the UNW defense was able to get outs when they needed it, including the ninth inning when the Vikings threatened with a runner on first that wasn't able to get any farther on the path.

Peterson paced Northwestern in the batter's box, going 3-4 as the Eagles out-hit BLC 10-8.

The victory advanced third-seeded Northwestern to Saturday's 1 p.m. game against No. 1 St. Scholastica. For the Saints, a win would give them the tournament title while the Eagles would need to defeat CSS twice – once on Saturday and again on Sunday afternoon – to become the double elimination bracket champion.

The Eagles made an early push in the matinee, but St. Scholastica cranked up the bats for a giant fifth inning to ultimately win the Saints' 17th straight UMAC Tournament title.

Northwestern wasted no time in getting on the board against the Saints, scoring four first inning runs. The Eagles used four hits that frame while a pair of walks also helped UNW bring early runs across the plate. Peterson, Mike Studer and Doss all picked up an RBI with key singles.

St. Scholastica came right back with two runs in the bottom of the frame as Tyler Duex's double down the left field line scored both, with one being unearned due to a previous throwing error in the Eagles' infield. While Eagles starter Troy Nelson (Buena Park, Calif. /Buena Park) held the Saints off for the second and third, CSS inched closer with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Then came the big fifth inning for St. Scholastica when eight runs, seven of which were unearned, crossed home plate for the home team on the scoreboard.

Nelson would have gotten away with just one allowed run, but the pitcher started to struggle with his control while Andy Haagenson (Minneapolis, Minn./Henry Sibley) had difficulty getting a clean break and throw at shortstop, committing two errors that frame. After hitting two batters and walking a third, Nelson was replaced by Drew Tennyson (Stuartevant, Wis./Christian Life), who allowed one more run to score before the misery was soon over when the third out was recorded.

After the helpful first inning, Northwestern's bats went rather silent. Of the three hits that the Eagles did get in the fifth through seventh frames, the closest UNW got to home plate was Haagenson standing on second in the sixth.  With Northwestern seemingly deflated, the Saints added insult to injury with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to end the game due to a 10-run rule. Unfortunately for the team wearing purple and gold, a wild pitch and UNW's sixth defensive error allowed St. Scholastica to go home early.

After Nelson's four-and-two-thirds inning outing, Tennyson was on the hill for an inning and a third. Isaac Meredith (Robbinsdale, Minn./Armstrong) faced one batter in the bottom of the seventh before the game's completion.

Peterson's first inning single sent the Northwestern senior captain out with a nine-game hitting streak. With three hits against the Saints, Tyler Osborn (Clive, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) capped off his first year in an Eagles uniform with an 18-game hitting streak and will have the opportunity to continue that succession of hits in 2015.

Wrapping up the current campaign at 20-19, Northwestern recorded its sixth 20-win season under Hieb, going 14-7 in UMAC affairs. While the program will say thank you and goodbye to several seniors including everyday starters Peterson, Haagenson, Austin Adamson (Willmar, Minn./Willmar) and McMurray, Hieb will have several experienced players to rely upon next season with the likes of Aaron Rau (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge), Osborn, Sutterer, Studer and Doss coming back, not to mention a new turf surface to play on at Reynolds Field.