MANKATO, Minn. -- Originally scheduled for Thursday, the North Central University (NCU) softball team bumped up their doubleheader with Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) today. Sitting at the three seed in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), the Vikings bested the Rams 10-1 and 8-0 on the Monday doubleheader.

Game One Recap

BLC had quite an exciting first inning after they scored four unanswered runs including a homerun. The Rams did respond with a homerun of their own in the second inning when Aurora Prettyman (Portland, OR) slammed the ball to center field. However, that was really the only action NCU saw on offense as the Viking's pitcher heated up at the mound. BLC scored three more runs in the fourth inning along with three more in the sixth in final inning. First baseman Lindsey DeJong (St. Charles, MO, St. Charles High School) and shortstop Kali Kahalekomo (Muncie, IN) saw a lot of action in the infield as they combined for 11 of the Ram's 17 put outs and assisted on four total. Despite some decent defense from NCU, the Vikings used the lack of Ram offense to their advantage and won the first game of the day, 10-1.

Game Two Recap

The Rams held the Viking's hitting to a minimum in the opening innings, only letting BLC score once in the first three innings. But despite this defense, NCU still struggled to connect the bat to the ball and get on base. Delaney Riddle (Lake Stevens, WA) opened up her game with a double to center field along with a single by Lily Adams (White Bear Lake, MN, White Bear Lake Area High School) but neither were able to convert those hits into runs. The Vikings found a little bit of an offensive rhythm in the fourth inning scoring three runs. BLC would go on to score four more runs in the final two innings. In the fourth inning, Prettyman and Kahalekomo both singled, one to right field, then other to left, but were left on base as the inning came to an end. The Ram's pitcher, Hosanna Gattle (Merrit Island, FL) recorded two strikeouts on the 8-0 loss.

Key Performers

• Aurora Prettyman hit one homerun in the first game along with snagging two putouts, and one assist.
• In the first game, Lindsey DeJong added in seven putouts, and one assist at first base.
• Kali Kahalekomo recorded five putouts, and five assists for both games.

Looking Ahead

The Rams are just starting their busy week and continue with a doubleheader tomorrow, Apr. 12, against UMAC opponent the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The games will be held at NCU's home field with times of 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. All fans are encouraged to tune into official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages for updates on the softball team and much more information.