Box Score

Bethany Lutheran scored three runs in the ninth inning and then withstood a furious rally by Northland in the bottom half to hold on for a 8-6 win today at LumberJack Field.

The Vikings went up 1-0 in the first after a wild pitch from Brad Schoenman (Longmont, CO) allowed Alex Smith, who walked to lead-off the game, to score.

The LumberJacks came right back in the bottom of the first as Mike Stevens (Cadillac, MI) scored on Cody Carroll's (Shawano, WI) single.  Michael Cross (Auburn, WA) immediately followed with an RBI single to left to score Matt Tanneberg (Kennewick, WA) and put the Jacks up 2-1.

After Bethany Lutheran scored two in the top of the third, Northland tied it up at 3-3 after Cross' double to leftcenter scored Tanneberg from second.

The LumberJacks grabbed the lead back in the fourth after Bryce Szymanski (Pequot Lakes, MN), who walked, scored on Stevens single to center.

The Vikings scored single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to take a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth.

In the ninth, Bethany Lutheran took advantage of four walks, including one with the bases loaded and a two-run single by Jimmy Olsen to take a 8-4 lead.

Darren Culbert, who entered the game having yet to allow a run in 12.1 innings, came on to close it for the Vikings.  Northland got the first three batters aboard after Stevens singled, Tanneberg walked and Carroll was hit by a pitch.  Cross's sacrifice fly to center scored Stevens and made the score 8-5.  After a popout, Andy Finco (Hibbing, MN) singled to left to bring home Tanneberg.  Culbert then struck out Sam Ferraro (Fox River Grove, IL) to end it.

Stevens went 3-5 with two runs and an RBI while Tanneberg collected two hits and scored three runs.  Cross and Finco also had two hits as the Jacks out-hit the Vikings 13-6.