Game 1: Box score
BU   3   7   1
HU   5   7   1

Bethel opened game one with a solo homer from Ashley Johnson (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.), but the Pipers quickly erased the one-run lead with a five-spot in the bottom of the first inning.

Kelsey Tacheny (Jr., Saint Paul, Minn.) led off with a double for the Pipers and then advanced to third as Erin Farley (Jr., Saint Paul, Minn.) singled to left field. Farley stole second and Laura Randall (Fy., Fridley, Minn.) walked to load the bases. The three runners advanced on a wild pitch, with Tacheny scoring.

Brenna Healy (Jr., Mounds View, Minn.) then doubled to left center to drive in Randall and Farley before Heidi Larsen (Jr., Andover, Minn.) knocked a two-run homer over the left field fence for the 5-1 lead.

The Royals added one run in the fourth and another in the seventh to their total.

Healy and Larsen each went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI apiece. Tacheny and Gravem each hit their third double of the season in the game, with Tacheny going 2-for-3 at the plate.

Jessalyn Weaver (Sr., Eagan, Minn.) threw a complete game, striking out four, to get the win and improve to 7-3 on the season. Rebecca Akerson (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) also threw the entire game for the Royals, picking up the loss.

Game 2: Box score
BU   9   14   1
HU   13  9    3

Heidi Larsen’s second homerun of the day was one of three hits that combined with an error to produce a nine-run second inning, overcoming a 6-0 Bethel lead after the opening nine outs.

Bethel built up a 6-0 lead with four runs on three hits and two Pipers errors in the first inning, and then two more on three hits in the top of the second.

That lead gave way in the wild bottom of the second, in which the Pipers drew four walks, had two hit batters, advanced on three wild pitches, and the Royals committed one error. Hamline had just three hits in the inning, two singles and Larsen’s homer.

In that inning, Erin Kastner (Fy., Faribault, Minn.) and Bethany Hine (Fy., Carve, Minn.) each had an RBI single. Tacheny drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI and then she, Gravem, and Anderberg each scored on wild pitches. Farley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an RBI.
Anderberg scored on a wild pitch with Larsen at the plate. The ball brought the count to 1-1, and the Royals changed pitchers. On the very next pitch, Larsen launched the ball over the center field fence for two more runs and the 9-6 lead.

The Pipers knocked in three more runs to go up 12-6 in the third, as Anderberg had an RBI single after Tachney hit a double and Hine drove in two runs with a single up the middle.

Bethel then tallied two in the fourth on two hits and an error, cutting the Piper lead to four, 12-8.

Tacheny then upped the Piper tally to 13 runs with an RBI bunt single in the fourth.

Bethel’s Kelly Berg (Jr., South Haven, Minn.) hit a one-out homer over the fence in right center field to keep the Royals’ hopes alive in the seventh, but that was the final run they would score.

Tacheny went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored while picking up the win on the mound. She tossed four and two-thirds innings, striking out two batters and scattering five hits.

Hine was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored.

With the conference wins, Hamline is now 10-6, 4-0 MIAC. The Royals are 9-15, 1-5 MIAC. Hamline stays at home to host Gustavus Adolphus on Saturday, April 10, at 1:00 p.m.