MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team came from behind on Tuesday to earn a 3-1 victory over Bethany Lutheran College in the series opener between the two squads. Tied atop the UMAC coming into the day, the Cougars wrest control of first place with two games still to come and move to 25-10 (12-1 UMAC) on the year.

The first inning was scoreless for both sides, though Minnesota Morris starter Alyssa Thornton (11-3) had to work around a walk and a single, though the lead runner was thrown out by left fielder Anna Baumann to help the Cougar cause.

In the top of the second, the Vikings took the lead on a pair of doubles from Haley Stockman and Emily Nelson. Minnesota Morris nearly knotted it up in the bottom of the inning with two runners in scoring position, only for the carom off the fence of a wild pitch from Kayla Senne to take away the chance for Olivia Losee to rush home to tie it. Tagged out on the play, Bethany Lutheran held on to its one-run lead.

After a nice series of defensive plays in the top of the fourth, the Minnesota Morris offense showed up in the bottom of the fourth to go on top, 3-1. The inning started with a lead-off double from Mary Landherr and she then went to third on a wild pitch. After a Thornton walk and a stolen base, a Bethany Lutheran error allowed Landherr to score and tie it up at 1-1. Two batters later, Olivia Diver reached on a fielder's choice and Thornton scored from third to give the Cougars the lead. A sacrifice bunt from Baumann tacked on another run as Skyla Bristol raced home to score on the play, making it 3-1 after four complete.

Thornton shut down Bethany Lutheran after that, allowing just a two-out single in the top of the fifth. She retired the final seven BLC hitters of the contest in order to give Minnesota Morris the victory. The first-year pitcher finished with four strikeouts in her 11th complete game of the season.

Minnesota Morris and Bethany Lutheran will wrap up the three-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow at the Morris Softball Complex starting at 1:30 p.m.