MANKATO, Minn. – The Northland College Baseball team dropped both games in the doubleheader 8-15 and 23-2 to Bethany Lutheran College in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Friday evening in Mankato, Minn.
 
Nathan Davison had the first hit for the Jacks with a lead-off hustle single to the shortstop. Peyton Solberg would reach after getting hit by a pitch, and Anthony Boyle singled through the left side to load the bases with two outs. Davison would score the first run on a wild pitch to have Northland up 1-0 after the first.
 
The Vikings would tie the game off an error on a double steal, and a fielder's choice would give BLC the lead. After the top of the second, Bethany Luther had a 3-1 advantage.
 
The LumberJacks were threatening in the bottom of the third. Ridge Guyette doubled and reached third on a wild pitch, and Solberg was hit by another pitch to put runners on the corners. A flyout to center field ended the inning with two runners on.
 
In the following inning, NC loaded the bases after a single from Tyler Murphy, a walk by Michyl Castillo, and a hit by pitch by Davison. Guyette, on the first pitch he saw, sent the ball to center field to score a run. Northland tied the game on a wild pitch. Davison also tried to score on the wild pitch after the catcher overthrew the pitcher, but he was thrown out at the plate.
 
The Vikings would retake the lead with their first batter of the fifth inning. Josh Robb had a leadoff sole home run. Northland would get out of the inning after turning a double play. BLC would increase its lead to 8-3 in the sixth inning.
 
Murphy, to lead off the bottom of the sixth, squared a bunt and legged out the single. Murphy would steal second to get in scoring position. Jonjay Arreazola followed up the bunt with a single up the middle. Murphy would score as BLC would turn two to erase the base runners.
 
Josh Wooden earned the game in the top of the seventh. The freshman pitched a one-two-three inning. In the bottom of the inning, Guyette reached on a single, with Solberg following suit to put two on with one out. A single to left field by Caden Willis scored Guyette to cut the lead down to three.
 
The Vikings would get the run back in the following inning after an RBI triple. Bethany Lutheran continued to score runs to go up 13-5 to end the top of the eighth inning. Northland started to chip away at the lead in the eighth. The LumberJacks loaded the bases, and Guyette drew a four-pitch walk to score Arreazola. Solberg followed with a sac fly, driving in Davison.
 
Ethan Boyce came in to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth. Boyce hit his first career home run to cut the lead back down to seven. It was not enough as Northland would fall 8-15 in game one.
 
The LumberJacks recorded 13 hits in the loss. Guyette led the team with three hits, and Davison, Murphy, and Arreazola had a multiple-game hit each with two. Arreazola had his first collegiate extra base hit with a double, and Boyce went long for the first time in the Northland uniform.
 
On the mound, Andrew Birko pitched four innings. The senior did not give up an earned run but suffered the loss after five runs would score.
 
Bethany Lutheran got out to a hot start in game two, scoring four runs in the opening inning. The LumberJacks struck back in the bottom half, starting with a Grant Vessey walk, followed by singles by Guyette and Boyce to score Vessey, getting NC on the board. The Vikings would have a big second and third inning to pull away from Northland. The lead was too much for the Jacks to overcome, as they would drop game two.
 
Northland totaled seven hits with Guyette leading with three. The senior had a single, double, and triple. Boyce had two hits in the contest and recorded both of the team's RBIs. Vinny Cooney and Arreazola also each had a base hit. Vessey scored both runs for the Jacks. Murphy and Austin Tellefsen each recorded two strikeouts on the mound.
 
The LumberJacks and Vikings conclude their series tomorrow (Saturday) with a 1 p.m. game.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.