MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team (9-11, 0-2 UMAC) opened up Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play with a pair of losses to the Bethany Lutheran Vikings (12-7, 2-0 UMAC) Sunday afternoon at Big Cat Stadium. The Vikings tallied a 6-2 win in the opener before posting an 8-3 victory in the finale.

In the first game of the afternoon, Marissa Allen and Michelle O'Rourke both went 2-for-3 and recorded an RBI. Despite falling 8-3 in the second game, Kallie Wycoff went 3-for-4, which included a double.

Game One Recap

After three scoreless innings for both teams to get the afternoon going, Bethany Lutheran scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead over Minnesota Morris.

The 1-0 deficit didn't last long for the Cougars as a pair of singles to center from Allen and O'Rouke put Minnesota Morris in front, 2-1, after four innings. The Vikings then responded in the top of the fifth with a run to tie things up at 2-2.

With the game tied at 2-2 heading into the seventh, the Vikings scored four times to take a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The Cougars went down in order to give Bethany Lutheran the 6-2 victory.

Game Two Recap

Unlike the slow start to the first game, the Vikings jumped out to a 7-0 lead after scoring three times in the first and four times in the second. Bethany Lutheran then added another run in the fourth to make it an 8-0 game.

The Cougars cut into the Vikings' lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.  For Minnesota Morris in the fourth, Lacey Sullivan flew out to right to score Wycoff and then Grace Penke tallied a pair of RBI to bring the Cougars within five.

Bethany Lutheran kept Minnesota Morris in check down the stretch to secure the 8-3 win.

The Cougars are back in action on Wednesday, April 3, in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, to take on Crown. The doubleheader gets underway at 3:30 p.m.