MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- North Central University softball bounced back from tough losses earlier in the week to claim a sweep of Bethany Lutheran College at home on Saturday afternoon at Langton Park. Game one saw NCU take a 2-0 shutout victory while game two was an 8-7 extra inning win for the Rams.

GAME ONE
North Central came into game one looking to bounce back after losing both games of a double header verses Northwestern College (St. Paul, Minn.) on Thursday. With great pitching and solid defense, the Rams did just that with a 2-0 win over Bethany Lutheran College (Mankato, Minn.).

Senior pitcher Danielle Anderson (Aurora, Minn.) earned the shutout victory in the circle going all seven innings, giving up just six hits and striking out three. At the plate NCU did just enough to get the victory with only one Rams batter getting more than one hit.

NCU got the first of their two runs with a one out rally that began when junior catcher Kristol Pettygrove (Walworth, Wis.) singled and advanced all the way to third on a passed ball. Junior second basemanAndrea Exline (Green City, Mo.) then singled to right field to score Pettygrove but that would be all the Rams could get across in that at bat.

North Central would come back in the bottom of the fourth to score their final run. Junior shortstop Hannah Gordon (Boise, Idaho) led off with a single and advanced later in the inning on a wild pitch. Andrea Exline then moved Gordon over to third with a ground out to first base. Junior first baseman Deb Rowland (Milaca, Minn.)then knocked in the run with an RBI single to right.

For the game NCU recorded just six hits with junior center fielderElisabeth Trickey (Waseca, Minn.) going 2-3 at the plate. Gordon, Pettygrove, Exline and Rowland were the only other Rams to hit safely in the defensive battle. Danielle Anderson was the only other Ram to reach base in the game with a walk.

GAME TWO
Game two looked to be a defensive struggle much the same as game one with the score tied 2-2 after four innings. But the Rams forged ahead in the bottom of the fifth inning with five runs and that looked to be enough before a final rally from Bethany Lutheran tied things up to force extra innings. NCU would hold the Vikings off the board in the top of the eighth and plated the game clinching run in their final at bat to earn the 8-7 victory.

The Rams began the scoring in their part of the first inning. Elisabeth Trickey lead off with a walk and junior left fielder Bethany Bostron(Spicer, Minn.) reached after being hit by a pitch. That put two runners on for Danielle Anderson who crushed a double to left field that scored both Trickey and Bostron. The Rams would get one more base runner but could not get any more scoring in the inning.

Bethany Lutheran scored a single run in their part of the third and fourth to tie the game at 2-2 but went down scoreless in the fifth. NCU then stepped up and surged ahead in their part of the inning to plate five runs.

Danielle Anderson led off with a single to center field with freshmanPaisley Bennett (Wapaca, Minn.) coming on to run for the starting pitcher. Hannah Gordon then came up and reached on a fielders choice but a bad throw allowed Bennett to reach second safely and advance to third. Kristol Pettygrove then reached on a bunt single that loaded the bases. Andrea Exline then drew a walk that scored a run for NCU. Pinch hitter Ruthann Lojovich (Burtrum, Minn.) then drove in Gordon and Pettygrove with an RBI single and advanced to second on a throw to the plate. With Lojovich on second and Exline on third, third basemanLonna Dille (Motley, Minn.) singled to score a run. Sophomore pinch hitter Emily Matthews () then grounded out to second base but Lojovich scored. The Rams were unable to do any further damage but claimed a 7-2 lead going into the sixth inning.

Bethany Lutheran scored a run in the top of the sixth and NCU went down with out an answer in their part of the inning to put things at 7-3 going into the seventh.

The Vikings finally broke through with four runs on four hits to tie the game at seven in the seventh inning. NCU got a runner on in their part of the seventh but a double play ended the Rams scoring threat.

NCU stopped the Vikings momentum in the top of the eighth and then did what it took in the bottom of the inning to get the game winning run.

Elisabeth Trickey opened the inning with a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Bethany Bostron followed up with a walk and Danielle Anderson loaded the bases with a single to left field. Hannah Gordon then stepped up to the plate with a chance to win it for the Rams and came through with an RBI single to clinch the NCU sweep over Bethany.

Danielle Anderson earned the win in the circle going all eight innings and was also 3-5 at the plate with 2 RBI and a double. Hannah Gordon was 2-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Ruthann Lojovich came into the game as a pinch hitter and was 1-2 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Andrea Exline was 0-2 but reached base with 2 walks, scored a run and recorded an RBI.

North Central returns to action today with a road double header at Maranatha Baptist Bible College (Watertown, Wis.) scheduled for 3 p.m. NCU and MBBC split a pair of games at the NCU Dome Tournament in early March.

The Rams continue their road trip with a double header at Alverno College on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.