Vikings win twice to capture first-ever UMAC baseball tournament title
DULUTH, Minn.---For the first time in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) baseball tournament history, a team other than the College of St. Scholastica has earned tournament glory as Bethany Lutheran College won twice Saturday to win it's first-ever baseball tournament title.
The No. 2 Vikings won three-straight games in less than 24 hours to punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament for the first time. The Vikings forced the "if necessary" game for the first time in the UMAC tournament since 2010 after exploding in the ninth of the first game for a 2-1 win. Then, the Vikings won the pitching duel with the Saints in the nightcap for the 2-1 win.
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Tournament Site |
Game Seven |
Game Eight |
Game 7 - No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 1 St. Scholastica, 17-7 |
Box Score |
In similar fashion to the first meeting between the two co-champions the week before, the Vikings won the opener in the top of the ninth inning after an offensive explosion. The Vikings plated 10 runs in 17-7 victory to force the "winner-take-all" championship game.
The Vikings wasted no time in the top of the first as Mylo Hommes and Diego Martiarena hit back-to-back singles to give Nick Caldeen an opportunity to bring Hommes around on a sacrifice fly. The Saints were held scoreless in the bottom and the Vikings were quiet in the top of the second. The Saints got on board in the bottom of the second when Steven Neutzling scored on a RBI double from Eric Pearson tying the game at 1-1.
In the top of the third, the Vikings went on a scoring frenzy plating four runs on three hits. Grant Becher got on with a lead-off single and Hommes was walked which set up back-to-bach RBI from Martiarena and Caldeen to make it 3-1 Vikings. Both later scored on fielder's choice plays to put Bethany Lutheran up 5-1.
The Saints answered back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning taking advantage of three straight walks including a RBI walk to Aaron Weber that brought in Cole Tyman who led off the inning with a single. Brad Fossum was walked bringing around Drew Colvard for the second run of the inning. Joey Zwak then made it 5-4 when he crossed home on a fielding error.
Both teams went scoreless through the next two-and-half before St. Scholastica picked up two in the sixth to gain its first lead 6-5. Tyman reached on a double to bring Pearson home and then Tyman scored on the next batter with a double from Colvard.
The Saints held the Vikings scoreless in the next inning and added one more in the bottom of the seventh on a RBI sac fly from Chris Olson to score Neutzling. The Vikings would tie it up in the top of the next inning, though, with runs from Walker Linde and Hommes.
In the bottom of the eighth, Alex Babcock sat the Saints down 1-2-3 to set up a 10-run top of the ninth for the Vikings that sealed the win. All 10 runs came on just four hits with the final four runs of the inning coming on batters hit by pitch and walks.
The Vikings offense tallied 18 hits and 16 RBI with Becher leading the attack going 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Hommes, Martiarena and John Brown each collected three hits a piece. Babcock earned the win in 1.2 innings of relief. Pearson and Tyman each recorded two hits in the loss for the Saints.
Game 8 - No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 1 St. Scholastica, 2-1 |
Box Score |
The second game was dramatically different to start with significantly less coring and quieter bats for both squads....
The first inning saw both teams go three-up, three-down before the Vikings struck first in the top of the second on a RBI single from Ross Beumer that sent Ben Boran across home for the 1-0 lead.
The next three innings went scoreless until St. Scholastica found the equalizer in the bottom of the fifth. Pearson hit a triple to center that nearly cleared the wall to set up a RBI opportunity for Tyman who drove Pearson in on a single. Colvard then reached on a hit by pitch before a ground out on a diving stop by Becher allowed the runners to move up to second and third. Nick Dewanz then struck out pinch hitter Tim Munn to end the threat from the Saints and keep the score 1-1.
After Dallas Miller pitched five innings and struck out four to keep Bethany at bay, Nick Peterson entered the game for the Saints and shut down the Vikings in the top of the sixth. Babcock then made his fifth appearance of the weekend to get them out of a jam forcing a double play on the first pitch he threw.
Bethany Lutheran went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, but was again saved by defense. After Babcock walked two Saints on two outs, Martiarena robbed Zwak with a diving catch in right field to save the Vikings in the bottom of the inning.
The winning inning came in the top of the eighth which kicked off with a double from Brown in the lead-off spot. After an out, Beumer was walked and then Linde was walked which loaded the bases. Joe Gonrowski then came in for the Saints to try and salvage the inning. He earned one out on fly out, but the Vikings went up 2-1 when Brown came home for the eventual winning run.
The meat of the Saints lineup came up empty in the eighth, but Gonrowski shut down the Vikings in the top of the ninth to give his squad one last chance. After Pearson was walked to start the at bats for the Saints, Bobby Eckert came in an laid down a sac bunt to advance the pinch runner to second. Conor Wollenzein then struck out in his pinch hit attempt before Colvard flied out to left to end the Saints' 20-year streak as tournament champions.
Babcock earned the win again for the Vikings after relieving Dewanz who went 5.1 and allowed just four hits and struck out four. Each team recorded five hits a piece with Pearson recording a game-high two for the Saints.
Saturday's championship day will see a rematch from 2017 with the No. 1 Saints taking on the No. 2 Vikings at 1 p.m. The Vikings must win the first game to force a deciding game that would take place at 4 p.m.
Playoff Schedule
Thursday, May 10 (Day One)
Game 1 – No. 5 Wisconsin-Superior def. No. 4 Northland, 14-2 (7 inn.) |
Box Score |
NC Recap |
UWS Recap |
Game 2 – No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 3 Northwestern, 10-4 |
Box Score |
BLC Recap |
UNW Recap |
Game 3 – No. 1 St. Scholastica def. No. 5 Wisconsin-Superior, 19-4 (7 inn.) |
Box Score |
CSS Recap |
UWS Recap |
Friday, May 11 (Day Two)
Game 4 – No. 3 Northwestern def. No. 5 Wisconsin-Superior, 10-9 |
Box Score |
UNW Recap |
UWS Recap |
Game 5 – No. 1 St. Scholastica def. No. 2 Bethany Lutheran, 4-2 |
Box Score |
BLC Recap |
CSS Recap |
Game 6 – No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 3 Northwestern, 2-1 |
Box Score |
BLC Recap |
UNW Recap |
Saturday, May 12 (Day Three)
Game 7 – No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 1 St. Scholastica, 17-7 |
Box Score |
BLC Recap |
CSS Recap |
Game 8 – No. 2 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 1 St. Scholastica, 2-1 |
Box Score |
BLC Recap |
CSS Recap |
All tournament information including scores, recaps, team information and more can be found on the
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2018 Tournament Page