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DULUTH, Minn. – The eighth-ranked St. Scholastica baseball team led 8-2 entering the seventh, but let the lead slip away as Bethany Lutheran advanced to the 2009 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament Championship game with a 10-9 victory in ten innings.

The Saints scored first on a #Brandon Peterson# (Fr.-Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley) sacrifice fly that plated #Nick Lee# (Sr.-Carlton, Minn.)in the second. #Kyle Wojtysiak# (Sr.-Proctor, Minn.) then had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-0. The Vikings responded in the top half of the fifth driving two runs across to tie the contest 2-2.

After two quick outs in the bottom of the fifth, the Saints put together a two-out rally. After back-to-back walks, #Paul Kolodge# (Sr.-Cloquet, Minn.) hit a two-run triple off the left center field wall to give the Saints the lead back 4-2. Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) followed with a RBI-single to extend the margin to 5-2. CSS had three more runs come across in the sixth to make it 8-2.

The Vikings would not give up and scored three in the seventh to cut the lead to 8-5. After a quiet eighth inning, Bethany Lutheran loaded the bases to start the ninth. Then it appeared the Vikings' Nick Johnson was going to have a RBI-single through the right side, but ball hit the base runner making the runner out and the play dead as the score was still 8-5. However a wild pitch and a two-run single later in the inning would tie the game up as we headed to the bottom of the ninth.

The Saints had the bases loaded with two outs and appeared to win the game on Bethany Lutheran error on a ground ball, but it was ruled that there was runner interference on the play and the game went into extra innings.

Now the Vikings had the bases loaded with two outs in the 10th and they would come through as Nick Johnson would hit a clean base hit through the right side to score two and give Bethany Lutheran a 10-8 lead.

The Saints had one last opportunity and loaded the bases with one out for the second consecutive inning. Paul Kolodge (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior HS) would draw a walk to force in a run and cut the lead to 10-9. However, the Saints would then strikeout and pop out to end the game as Bethany Lutheran hung on to win 10-9 in ten innings.

#Jeff Adams# (Jr.-Two Harbors, Minn.) had the loss for St. Scholastica, while Justin Schwecke had the win for the Vikings. Schwecke also helped himself at the plate going 3-for-6 with a RBI. Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs to lead CSS at the plate.

The Saints will play Northwestern College at 1 p.m. tomorrow in an elimination game at Wade Stadium. CSS will have to win three games to capture its 13th consecutive UMAC Postseason Tournament Title.