MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team defeated North Central University twice on Saturday by identical scores of 10-0 in five innings, wrapping up the regular season with a record of 28-12 (15-3 UMAC). Those two results combined with a loss by Bethany Lutheran College on Saturday mean that the Cougars and Vikings finish with identical UMAC records and split the conference regular season crown. 

With BLC taking two of three games from Minnesota Morris last weekend, the Vikings have earned the right to host the UMAC Tournament in Mankato from May 9-11. The Cougars will carry the No. 2 seed into the tournament and face No. 3 seed University of Wisconsin-Superior in the opening game of the double-elimination tournament. The other matchup will feature No. 1 seed Bethany Lutheran taking on No. 4 seed University of Northwestern.

Game 1: Minnesota Morris 10, North Central 0 (5 innings)
Morgan Wilhelm (3-4) went the distance and some early offense from the Cougars made for a comfortable win in the opener. 

The game began with Sierra Stevens being hit by a pitch and Mary Landherr doubled two batters later to stake Minnesota Morris to a quick 1-0 lead. The margin exploded in the second inning as the Cougars scored seven runs and took an 8-0 edge. Olivia Diver and Olivia Losee reached base to start the inning and Anna Baumann followed with a RBI single. Losee then came home on a stolen base from Baumann that included a North Central error to make it 3-0. Back at the plate for the second time, Stevens homered to right with a three-run shot. Alyssa Thornton and Diver added RBIs later in the inning.

Wilhelm sat down seven straight Ram hitters from the first inning through the end of the third and Minnesota Morris added to its lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth. Anna Athey chopped a grounder into a double play in the fourth, but with the bases loaded Diver was able to score. In the fifth, Jessi Vermeulen kept the inning alive with a two-out single and Madison Ferguson drove in Faith Hamm from third by drawing a walk with the bases loaded.

Diver finished with a 3-for-3 day at the plate, while Landherr added two hits in the game. Wilhelm struck out three and gave up just four hits in the contest.

Game 2: Minnesota Morris 10, North Central 0 (5 innings)
The second game started more slowly for Minnesota Morris and North Central actually had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the second inning. After consecutive errors by the Cougars to start the inning, the Rams had two runners aboard and no outs but Athena Grimley (2-2) struck out three straight NCU hitters to get out of the jam.

North Central returned the favor in the top of the third inning, committing two errors that helped lead to runs from Athey, Baumann, and Stevens to make it 3-0 in favor of the Cougars. After Grimley left the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, Minnesota Morris essentially put the game away with a five-run fourth inning. Landherr cleared the bases with a double that doubled the Cougar lead to 6-0. Grimley and Diver added RBI singles later in the inning. In the fifth, a Ram error led to one run before Landherr drove in another run on a RBI groundout as the advantage expanded to 10-0.

Grimley retired the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth before making way for Diver to close out the contest with a strikeout.

Landherr finished 3-for-4 in the game with five RBIs. Grimley and Baumann each had two hits, with Baumann and Stevens accounting for three runs apiece.