It was a tough day at the ballpark for the Bethel Pilots as back-to-back, one-run games went in favor of Marian, leaving BC 0-2 on the afternoon and behind two games to none in the three-game weekend series against the Knights. With the losses, the Pilots slip below .500 for the first time this season and move to 9-17 in league play.
The Pilots jumped out to a 1-0 lead in game number one thanks to a RBI single from Morgan Erla. But Bethel needed to play catch up after spotting MU three runs in the bottom of the second. After three scoreless frames, BC found the equalizer in the top of the sixth thanks to four hits, all of which came on two outs.
Both teams battled through the seventh, eighth and ninth innings with neither squad able to find a go-ahead or game-winning run. The winner came just one frame later when MU recorded a pair of hits that plated the game’s final run.
A second low-scoring affair followed game one, and it was another one-run win for the hosts. Marian’s first run came in the bottom of the second, which was answered by the Pilots in the top of the fifth. It looked like extra innings might be in the cards, but an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh shut the door on the Pilots.
Game three between Bethel and Marian is slated for Monday at 6:00 p.m.