Mesquite, Texas – The Bethany College Swedes Softball team traveled down to Mesquite, Texas to take part in the Southern Collegiate Sports NAIA Invitational. The team traveled down Thursday to play in the two-day jamboree that was held on Friday and Saturday. The Swedes faced the British Columbia Thunderbirds and Missouri Baptist Spartans on Friday, February 6, and the Huston-Tillotson Rams and Texas Wesleyan Rams on Saturday, February 7.

GAME 1: SWEDES 3, THUNDERBIRDS 13

In what seemed to be a hot start for the Swedes turned cold quickly. Emmaline Senecaut singled home Kalee Aguilar to break a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the first. Marissa Wells tacked on an additional run by drawing a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. The Thunderbirds would score 13 runs over the next four innings including seven in the fifth to run away with this one 13-3 in five innings.

Aguilar and Ulissa Rivas each recorded two hits and a run scored. Dylann Baker drew the start lasting 3.0 innings.

GAME 2: SWEDES 4, SPARTANS 12

The Swedes would take on the Missouri Baptist Spartans in game two of a doubleheader. The Spartans jumped out to a demanding 8-1 lead after two complete innings and would not look back. The Swedes put up three runs in the fourth via a Camille Stauffer RBI double and Ulissa Rivas two RBI single, but the Spartans would answer back with two in the bottom of the fourth to get back into run-rule territory. The Swedes would fall 12-4 in five innings.

Five Swedes would record at least one hit including Stauffer going one-for-one at the plate. Paris Hammer drew the start and Jordyn Stelzig would enter in relief. Both would last 2.0 innings.

GAME 3: SWEDES 5, RAMS 4

Saturday’s first game was against the Huston-Tillotson Rams. Bethany jumped out to a 1-0 lead by way of a double steal that resulted in Kalee Aguilar stealing home and putting the Swedes up 1-0. Ulissa Rivas would double that lead with a homerun over centerfield. Unfortunately, the Rams would get it all back and some with a three-run blast over left field to go up 3-2. In the fifth, Camille Stauffer would tie it up with a double into centerfield scoring Avery Newmiller.

The seventh inning was exciting as Rivas would hit her second bomb, this time over left field, to put the Swedes up 4-3. Emmaline Senecaut would tack on one more via a double to score Newmiller again. In the bottom half of the inning, Senecaut would shine on defense throwing a Ram runner out at home. Although the Rams scored one, the Swedes would prevail 5-4 for their first win of the season.

Newmiller was key in this one as she went four-for-four at the plate. Rivas hit her first two homeruns of the season and teamed up with Newmiller to recorded a double play on defense. Jordyn Stelzig shined in her second outing of the season lasting 6.0 innings while striking out five. Amia Alexander-Sims recorded the save with a two-hit inning.

GAME 4: SWEDES 2, RAMS 10

The latter half of the doubleheader was yet another tough opponent, the Texas Wesleyan Rams. Bethany jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second by way of a couple of singles from Abigail Taylor and Kyson Vap scoring Harley Smith and Gabriella Nigro, respectively. Afterwards, the Rams scored 10 unanswered runs to run-rule the Swedes 10-2. Bethany would finish with a 1-3 record throughout the SCS NAIA Invitational.

Taylor would tally a hit in her lone plate appearance. Paris Hammer drew the start lasting 1.2 innings, but Dylann Baker would pitch 4.0 innings while striking out three batters.

Up Next…

The Swedes will be back in action in the Kansas City NAIA Invite on Saturday, February 14, as they are set to take on the Columbia College Cougars and the Park University Pirates at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM, respectively.