NORTH NEWTON, Kan. - The Bethel College Softball team dropped game one 5-4 against Hastings after holding a 3-0 lead. The squad bounced back strong in game two picking up a 16-8 run rule victory.

GAME 1, L 5-4

The Threshers struck first in the bottom of the opening frame after Rachel Duer stranded a runner in scoring position. The first three batters of the game reached base safely for the Threshers as Olivia Nava was hit by a pitch, Cynae Wiley reached on an error and Brianna Reeves drove them both in with a 2 RBI single down the right field line. After sitting the Broncos down in order, the Bethel bats came back to the plate and manufactured a two out run after Ella Caudill reached on an error, stole second base and advanced all the way around when the catcher threw the ball into center field. 

Hastings got on the board with a run in the fourth inning before putting up a crooked number in the fifth to take a 4-3 advantage. The Broncos put up one more run in the sixth inning pushing their lead to two. Bethel was able to get some things going in the bottom half of the seventh as Wiley reached safely before being driven in on a two out single from Taylor Sanfillippo. With a runner on and a chance to tie the contest, Marissa Harrison struck out looking. In the three innings that Hastings pushed runs across Bethel had a combined five errors.

Amber Mott - 1/1 BB, HBP
Brianna Reeves - 1/4 2 RBI
Taylor Sanfillippo - 1/3 RBI, SO
Rachel Duer - 7.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 6 SO, 0 BB

GAME 2, W 16-8

Much like the first contest, the Threshers started the scoring in the bottom of the first for two runs as Sanfillippo had an RBI single and Mott had an RBI double. Bethel scored five runs in the second to push their lead to seven. In the inning Reeves had a three RBI single and advanced all the way around to third on an error by the left fielder. A sac fly from Sanfillippo was followed up by a Harrison double and a Mott single gave Bethel their fourth and fifth runs of the inning. The Broncos cut into the lead with a four run third inning, but Bethel got one back in the bottom half when Wiley drove in Caudill, who was hit by a pitch. 

Hastings answered Bethel's one run with one of their own in the fourth making the score 8-5 heading into the bottom half of the frame. After the first two batters grounded out in the fourth, the next four reached base sparked by an Anna Northcut single down the left field line. Claire Boxterman followed that up with a single of her own before Kailey Gonzales walked. Caudill came to the plate with the bases loaded and came through for the Threshers stroking a ball into the right center gap that would reach the fence clearing the bases as she ended up on third base. A few pitches later, the Hastings catcher tried to pick Caudill off and got her in a run down. The return throw from the Broncos third baseman was in the dirt allowing Ella to score the fourth Bethel run of the frame. With Bethel needing one more run to force the run rule into effect, the Broncos put up three runs in the sixth. Like they had done all game, the Threshers answered the bell when the Broncos scored. Bethel pushed across four runs in the bottom half of the inning, three with two outs, as they took the contest in run rule fashion.

Brianna Reeves - 4/5 4 RBI, SB
Taylor Sanfillippo - 2/4 4 RBI
Ella Caudill - 1/2 3 RBI, 3B, BB, HBP, 2 SB

The Threshers will be back in action on Super Bowl Sunday as they take on the Briar Cliff Chargers with first pitch slated for noon at Wedel Field.