MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team has its home opener on Saturday as they host Bethany Lutheran College for a three-game Upper Midwest Athletic Conference series. The Cougars and Vikings will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 3 p.m., with the finale scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
All games can be viewed on the UMAC Sports Network or by clicking here. To follow the live stats click here.
 
The Cougars started conference play with a 2-1 record against Crown College, dropping the opener 11-3 before taking the next two games 10-7 and 9-0. Following the week, Alyssa Thornton was named UMAC Pitcher of the Week, while GingerAnn Lucas earned UMAC Player of the Week honors. Thornton pitched 10.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and posted a 5.91 ERA. Lucas batted .429 with three hits, five RBIs, and five runs scored.
 
This season, Mary Landherr leads the team with a .375 batting average, with Olivia Losee following at .350. Jillian Anderson has a team-high nine RBIs, with Lucas adding eight. UMM has hit two home runs this season, both off the bat of Losee. The Cougars have recorded 30 stolen bases, with Losee and Lucas totaling six and five, respectively.
 
Thornton leads the team in the circle with a 5.53 ERA through 43 innings of work. The junior pitcher has 19 strikeouts. Morgan Wilhelm began conference play with a 1-0 record, pitching a complete game against the Polars.
 
Bethany Lutheran holds a 12-6 overall record and will play its first conference games this weekend. On Wednesday, the Vikings fell to the College of Saint Benedict 9-0 and 2-1. Angela Dabu is in her first season as head coach of BLC. In the UMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Vikings were selected to finish first. Olivia Sanborn leads the team with a .381 batting average, while Emily Meyer holds an 8-5 record with a 3.26 ERA.