Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Hamline's softball team ran into heartbreak Wednesday with a pair of 4-3 losses to Bethel at Meredith Field. The Pipers fell into a first place tie with the Royals at 16-4. Each team has two games to play. HU finishes up Saturday at third place Gustavus Adolphus (15-5) while the Royals will host Carleton (4-16).

The Pipers recieved solid pitching in both games. In the opener, Sarah DeMars gave up three runs in the third inning but settled down and allowed just four hits the rest of the way. HU grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Katie Koren  was safe on a two out error and Elaina Hammann followed with a run-scoring single. After BU went ahead, the Pipers came back as Alli Ruter singled and eventually scored on Jamie Rubbelke's two out hit. 

Unfortunately, the Royals snuck across a sixth inning run to regain the lead. In the seventh, Amanda Orrell singled and got as far as third base before the Pipers were retired to end the game,

Casey Anderson came out strong in the second game, retiring the first seven batters she faced. She was nicked for a fourth inning run but held firm until her teammates used some sagressive baserunning to tally for three sixth inning runs. With the bases loaded, Chelsea Koehn. One run scored easily and, when a pair of throws went askew, Orrell and Anderson sprinted home for a 3-1 lead. 

The Royals, however, took advantage of HU errors in the seventh to score three times and earn the sweep. 

Hamline will have little time to mull over what happened. The Pipers host UW-River Falls Thursday at Meredith Field in a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader.