ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Softball team fell at the hands of a UMAC opponent for the first time in 2024 on Friday night. The Bethany Lutheran College Vikings topped the Eagles 7-1 at Reynolds Field in what was the first of a three game series.
Despite the loss, UNW is still in the mix at the top of the UMAC Softball standings. The top of the conference standings is crowded and the race for a conference championship will be a tight one all the way until the bitter end this season. Four UMAC teams entered Friday afternoon with an undefeated conference record: Northwestern, Bethany Lutheran, Wisconsin-Superior, and Minnesota-Morris. Superior and Morris are scheduled for three games against each other this weekend but their three game set will take place on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend so they are both currently still undefeated at 6-0. UNW suffered their first loss on Friday and fell to 6-1 in UMAC play. Bethany Lutheran is now 8-0 in conference play.
The series is not over between the Eagles and the Vikings. UNW will have two more cracks at the undefeated Vikings at Reynolds Field before the weekend comes to a close.
In the series opener on Friday, the Eagles were bit by allowing the Vikings to take advantage of some extra outs which they used to score unearned runs.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first two innings.
Emma Heffron (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian), UNW's starting pitcher, gave up a single to the first batter she faced before she struck out the next three Bethany Luther hitters to pitch a scoreless top of the first. In the home half,
Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) singled and advanced to third base on a pair of passed balls. She was stranded a mere 90 feet from home plate as the Eagles went down scoreless in the opening inning as well.
Heffron walked a batter in the second but still managed to face only three batters on her way to pitching another scoreless inning to start the game. She picked up swinging strikeouts in each of the first and second innings. UNW's offense went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second.
In the top of the third inning, the game saw some runs put on the board. Unfortunately for the Eagles' supporters, those runs came from the visiting team. Bethany Lutheran's first two batters grounded out against Heffron to start the top of the third. The Vikings picked up a two out single and an error on the throw allowed the runner to go to second. Another error extended the inning and put runners on first and third. The runner on first base stole second before an RBI double drove in both runners and gave the Vikings a pair of unearned runs and a 2-0 lead.
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) drew a walk and made her way to third base before she was stranded there in the Eagles' scoreless half of the third. In the top of the fourth, the Vikings singled twice and were the beneficiaries of two more Eagle errors on their way to pushing across another run. The score was 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
UNW broke into the runs column in the bottom of the fourth.
Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star) drew a walk and gave way to
Reganne Henning (Beatrice, Neb./Beatrice) who pinch ran. Henning stole second base and proceeded to move to third base on an ensuing ground out. Henning would dash home on a wild pitch, using her speed to get the Eagles on the board; 3-1 in favor of the Vikings.
Heffron capitalized on the Eagles' momentum and pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning. The Eagles also went down in order in the bottom of the fifth.
The Vikings continued to use small ball to put up a crooked number in the top of the sixth. They used singles, stolen bases, bunts, walks, and another Eagle error to rack up four runs in the inning. The Eagles would not score again and dropped the contest 7-1.
Games two and three of the season series between these two teams will take place in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday. Not only is this big day for the current UNW Softball team, Saturday will be an important day for the program as a whole. Alumni are invited back to the Northwestern campus to celebrate the 50 Year Tradition of Eagle Softball. Festivities will take place during and after the Eagles' pair of contests with the Vikings. Former Eagle Softball player Brenda (Mohr) Meeker will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before game one.
