The College of St. Scholastica

DULUTH, Minn. – Bethany Lutheran scored eight runs in the seventh to rally past Presentation College 12-10 in the opening game of the 2009 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Baseball Tournament at Wade Stadium.

Presentation struck quickly in the top of the first scoring three runs in the inning. The second batter of the game Michael Babcock hit RBI-double off the wall and then Zach Lagred had two-run single up the middle.

The Saints added two more runs in the top of the third to extend the lead to 5-0. The score would be 7-3 entering the bottom of the seventh when the Vikings pushed eight runs across on seven hits to take an 11-7 lead.

Presentation scored three runs in the top of the eighth to cut the margin to 11-10, but the Vikings’ Travis Fisher hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 12-10. Justin Scwecke then struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth as Bethany Lutheran advances by a score of 12-10.

Both teams had 17 hits in the game. Nick Johnson was 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Vikings at the plate. Michael Babcock was 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to lead Presentation. Travis Fisher earned the win in relieve, while Babcock had the loss.

The Vikings will play the winner of the St. Scholastica and Northwestern game at 7 p.m. tonight. Presentation will play the loser at 4 p.m. today.