MORRIS, Minn. - Wrapping up their series with Bethany Lutheran College, the University of Minnesota Morris faced two losses on the day to move to 11-7 in conference play. The Cougars five home runs were not enough to overtake the Vikings as their conference opponent swept the series to stay atop the UMAC standings and move the Cougars down to fifth. Minnesota Morris will head to Concordia College Apr. 29 before their final weekend of conference play at North Central May 2-3. 

Bethany Lutheran 18, Minnesota Morris 8

Opening up the scoring early, the Vikings scored five runs by the top of the second inning before the Cougars were able to respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second. After ending the top of the third with an impressive double play, Minnesota Morris knocked in five runs in the bottom of the third to take a 7-5 lead. Trevor Haberman kicked things off with a homerun that brought in David Steffen to score. Ben Meuser and Ethan Schmitz scored next on a long double from Ashton Pauly, while Ryan McGie scored the final run on the next play. Scoring again in the bottom of the fifth, McGie crossed home plate after hitting a double of his own and making his way around the bases on a double from Keegan Jonas. After a scoreless sixth, Bethany Lutheran knocked in nine runs in the seventh to invoke the mercy rule and close out the game in seven innings. 

Haberman went 2-3 at the dish while McGie went 3-4 and both scored two runs. Doubles in game one came from Pauly, McGie, and Jonas and Haberman launched a homerun into play. The Cougar pitching staff of Parker Gilchrist, Luke McHugh, Cole Mammenga, and McGie totaled up six strikeouts, nine flyouts, and three groundouts. 

Bethany Lutheran 17, Minnesota Morris 10

The Cougars kicked off the scoring in game two as Meuser launched a homerun into play and brought Haberman and Steffen around the score. The Vikings responded with a run in the second, five in the third, and four more in the fourth to take an early 10-4 lead. Pauly's solo homerun in the third and Tyler Moriarty's solo homerun in the fifth would be the only runs scored for the Cougars as the Vikings jumped to a 12-5 lead. With Minnesota Morris still trailing 13-7 in the eighth, Haberan launched his second homerun of the day to close the scoring gap by one run. Despite runs from Moriarty and Pauly in the bottom of the ninth, Minnesota Morris faced a 10-17 deficit at the end of nine innings. 

Pauly and Haberman both went 2-4 at the plate, adding in three runs each and one RBI. Pauly also picked up the lone stolen base for the Cougars. McHugh and Haberman each earned doubles in game two while Pauly, Haberman, Meuser, and Moriarty all launched homeruns beyond the fence. On the mound for the Cougars in game two, Travis Godfrey, Dane Mammenga, Peyton Neadeau, and Brady Kenning totaled up seven strikeouts, 10 flyouts and nine groundouts on the day.