MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris baseball team fell in the series finale to Bethany Lutheran on Tuesday afternoon, 12-8, at ISG Field. The Cougars go to 11-22 (6-12 UMAC), while the Vikings solidify their spot atop the UMAC standings with a 15-3 record in conference.

The first inning ended with the game tied up at 1-1. Ashton Pauly delivered a lead-off single for Minnesota Morris and an error followed that allowed him to go to third. Ethan Schmitz then had an infield single to score the opening run. A pair of walks issued by Cougar starting pitcher Ryan McGie set the Vikings up with two base runners and one scored on a RBI groundout from Liam Peterson to knot the score.

After a scoreless second inning, Bethany Lutheran took the lead in the third inning with RBIs from Peterson and Matt Verdugo to go on top, 4-1. Minnesota Morris sliced into the deficit in the fifth inning with two runs. With Tyler Moriarty and Schmitz aboard, McGie hit a deep fly to center for a sac fly that scored one run. Two batters later, Logan Straumann hit a single to drive in Schmitz and make it 4-3.

Peterson and Verdugo were at it again in the bottom of the fifth with a lead-off single and stolen base from Peterson converted into a run on a RBI single from Verdugo. With the score 5-3 in favor of the Vikings, Josh Robb hit a bases-loaded double to bring all three runners in for an 8-3 advantage through five complete.

The Minnesota Morris comeback was propelled by a Keegan Jonas hit by pitch, followed by walks issued to James Nelson, Pauly, and Moriarty to force a run in and make it 8-4. As the sixth inning continued, Schmitz drove in another run with a RBI single, as did Landen Meyerdirk with one out in the inning. With the bases still loaded for the Cougars, two more walks to Trevor Haberman and Jonas leveled the game at 8-8.

The tie ballgame lasted only until the bottom of the sixth when a Minnesota Morris error helped open the gates to a two-run Bethany Lutheran inning that left the Cougars in a 10-8 hole. After UMN Morris was unable to pull closer in the top of the seventh, the Vikings tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the frame to build a 12-8 edge. The Cougars were then retired in order in the eighth and ninth to bring the contest to a close.

Schmitz led the way offensively with a 3-for-5 day at the plate with two runs and two RBIs. Max Binnicker (0-3) took the loss on the bump for the Cougars, throwing the final 3.0 innings.

Minnesota Morris returns to Chizek Field for the final series of the year, hosting North Central University on May 3-4. The three-game set opens with a single contest on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.