Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. - Despite amassing 22 hits and 14 runs in two games, Bethel was outdone by SUNY Plattsburgh today at Terry Park.

The first game started out in Bethel's favor as the Royals scored four times in the bottom of the third inning, highlighted by three stolen bases and a 2-RBI Bob Tokar (Sr., Elk River, Minn.) double. Unfortunately, the Cardinals came flying back to score six runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-4 lead.

Bethel answered and tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Tim Oesterlin (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) led off with a single, advanced on a single by Jay Slick (So., River Falls, Wis.), and scored on an error by the catcher after stealing third base. Oesterlin stole three bases, which accounted for half of the team's total by game's end. Erik Anderson (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.) batted Slick in to even the score.

However, Plattsburgh responded by scoring an additional three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take the lead for good. Bethel scored a run in the bottom of the seventh as Ryan Doheny (Sr., Anoka, Minn.) hit an RBI single to score Anderson to narrow the gap, and the Royals put two runners in scoring position with just one out, only to leave them there to end the game.

Matt Johnson (Jr., Vadnais Heights, Minn.) pitched five strong innings, yielding just six hits and three earned runs.

In the second game, Plattsburgh jumped out to a 12-1 lead before Bethel was able to start chipping away at their deficit with five runs in the top of the fourth. The Royals got four RBI singles and a sacrifice fly to cut the Cardinal lead in half. But by then, the damage had already been done. Plattsburgh added single runs in the bottom of the fourth and sixth innings, and Bethel scored another run in the top of the seventh in a 14-7 loss.

Erik Anderson belted the team's first home run of the season in the top of the second and was 4-for-8 with four runs and four RBIs on the day. He currently leads the team with nine runs batted in and has a .621 slugging percentage.

The Royals fall to 4-5 on the season and will try to regroup before taking on SUNY Fredonia on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. (Eastern time) for a single nine-inning game.