MANKATO, Minn. - Xander Meissner hit three home runs and Sean Gamble struck out 12 hitters on Saturday morning as the Bethany Lutheran baseball team defeated Northland 14-0. With the win the Vikings move to 13-10 overall and 6-0 in the UMAC while the LumberJacks fall to 1-16 overall and 0-6 in conference play. 

Hear from the Vikings
Here's what head coach Ryan Kragh and senior third baseman Nolan Spence had to say about the game and weekend.

Kragh: "I thought overall we put a lot of great at-bats together. Only had one error on the weekend which was a focus. Pitchers gave us a chance and Gamble was the best we've seen all year. Now we just need to get back to work and keep getting better."

Spence: "I thought today's game was great .Despite the challenge of an early start, the boys came out with great energy from the first pitch. Xander had a huge day at the plate, setting the tone for our offense and giving us the spark we needed. It also makes a big difference when Gamble is on the mound, shutting them down and keeping them off the scoreboard."

Inside the Box Score

After a 1-2-3 top of the first, Gamble worked around a leadoff double in the bottom half to keep things scoreless.

To open the second, Meissner stepped up and hit a no-doubt shot well over the video board in right field to make it 1-0. Bethany would go on to add three more in the inning, as Josh Robb, Spence, and Malachi Santiago got base hits and all came around to score for the 4-0 advantage. 

Following a few more strong innings from Gamble, Bethany would add another in the fourth as Seth Jones doubled and later came around to score after some heads up baserunning. 

A Northland error in the fifth would extend the inning and allow a run to score with two outs already recording, before Eli Fest would step up and line a double to right center to make the score 8-0. 

Gamble would strikeout the side in the bottom of the fifth and Meissner would add his second home run of the day in the top of the sixth, as he would blast one over the billboards in right center to make the score 9-0. 

After another 1-2-3 inning from Gamble in the sixth, the Vikings would do more damage in the seventh to the tune of five runs. Fest would knock a 2-RBI single to open the scoring before Meissner stepped up a few batters later and hit a line drive off the video board in right to plate three more runners and make it 14-0. 

In the bottom of the seventh Gamble would once again put the LumberJacks down in order, as he put down the final 12 batters he faced in the contest and struck out nine of them. 

Meissner had five hits in the contest to lead the Vikings while driving in five runs and scoring four times while Spence and Fest each had two hits. 

Gamble went the distance for Bethany, allowing just two hits and one walk in seven innings of work while striking out 12. 

Bethany will next be in action on Friday when they host North Central for a 3 p.m. contest.