ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The No. 12 Bethel University softball team faced its first set back in the 2022 NCAA Softball Championships falling to Washington University in St. Louis in a winner's bracket game Saturday afternoon, 2-1.
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The Royals will play in an elimination game Saturday evening at 4:30 p.m. against the winner of Buena Vista and Bethany Lutheran.
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Opportunities were there in each team's first three at bats but a pair were stranded by both squads in the third.
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WashU broke the scoreless tie in the half of the third that featured two Bethel errors. The Bears scored their leadoff double with a double. An errant throw into the outfield moved that runner to third who would then score on a dropped fly ball in the outfield.
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BU produced its two-out magic as
Lexi DeBace singled and
Mikaela Girard walked.
Kayla Hokanson slapped a 0-1 pitch to left allowing DeBace to score from second.
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Since the third, Simacek only allowed two hits the rest of the way while bringing her strikeout total to seven.
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A double play to end the sixth and a 1-2-3 seventh ended it putting the Royals into the loser's bracket. Â
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