Bethlehem Academy softball cruises past Goodhue

At their best last season, Bethlehem Academy softball would put teams behind early and never look back. Plenty of games would end early, a fifth inning stoppage due to a lopsided mercy rule score. If you were going to catch up to Morgan Wilson’s pitching and slow down the Cardinals’ batting, you would have done it already.

So on Friday evening, it was a bit of a throwback to last year, a 12-2 victory over Goodhue, as the Cardinals picked up their second straight win after a bumpy season-opening defeat.

While Bethlehem Academy still has room to grow, the Cardinals are looking more and more like their old selves, even with so many new faces.

Those old selves would have appreciated a 9-1 second inning lead. Bethlehem Academy scored in the bottom of the first, giving up a run in the top of the second, only to explode for eight runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Anna Tobin continued her multi-hit streak for a third game with three RBIs to go with three hits as seven different Cardinals reached base with a hit on Friday.

It was the most complete batting effort of the season so far for Bethlehem Academy, a team which has had to rely on the top of the order for most of its offensive production, got five hits from the bottom half of the order to give the Cardinals some offensive depth for the first time all year. Three different batters would get extra bases off their hits, while Caitlin Bothun scored her second home run of the season, both coming in back-to-back games.

Bethlehem Academy would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth and one more in the bottom of the fifth as the game came to an early close.

Pitching for the second-straight game in as many days, Wilson was efficient on the mound en route to an eight strikeout afternoon, which featured just one earned run on four hits.

The Cardinals will look to take their new found confidence and winning ways on the road with three straight contests away from home starting with a clash against Triton on Tuesday. Bethlehem Academy will return to Faribault on April 22nd to host Randolph for the first game in a three-game home stand in the middle portion of the schedule.

And if the Cardinals can continue to find their stride on the road, a season-opening loss might be something well in the rearview mirror for a team with warm bats and elite pitching.