Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - The Bethel Royals continued their spring break trip with a doubleheader against perennial Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) contenders, UW-Whitewater.  The Warhawks took game one by a score of 5-0, then sneaked past Bethel 2-1 in the second game on a sunny, hot, and windy afternoon.

In game one, Brandon Carr (Sr., Fergus Falls, Minn.) was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases, while Bob Tokar (So., Elk River, Minn.) was 2-for-2 and reached base after being hit by a pitch.

The Royals managed to get eight hits total, but left 11 runners on base.

John Buteyn (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) started the game and pitched six innings, giving up five runs on nine hits, while striking out two and walking one.  Matt Jollie (So., Shoreview, Minn.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Royals. 

Bethel came back in the second game and scored their only run in the second inning.  Erik Anderson (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn.) walked to lead off the inning.  John Slick (So., River Falls, Wis.) then reached on a fielder's choice which advanced Anderson to third thanks to an error by Warhawk starting pitcher Aaron Dott.  Rob Lang (So., Johnston, Iowa) batted Anderson in to give Bethel a 1-0 lead.

The lead lasted until the fifth inning when UW-Whitewater scored a run on a sacrifice fly.  The Warhawks tried to score again in the sixth inning after a lead-off double by Jeff Donovan, followed by a single by Jordan Stine to put runners on first and third.  Tom Corcoran hit a fly ball to Bethel centerfielder Kris Pulford (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) who gunned Donovan out at the plate when he tagged up on the catch, giving the Royals a much needed out.  After a pop-up to the shortstop, the Royals got out of the inning safely.

But after Bethel went down in order in the top half of the seventh, UW-Whitewater came back and pieced together a single, a sacrifice bunt, a ground ball out that advanced the runner to third base, followed by the game-winning single.

Ethan Formo (Sr., Granite Falls, Minn.) threw a complete game for the Royals, giving up the two runs on six hits while issuing just one walk.  Dott also pitched a complete game for the Warhawks despite having a finger on his non-throwing hand broken by a line drive off the bat of Carr in the first inning.

Bethel falls to 4-6 overall, while UW-Whitewater moves to 6-1 on their season.  The Royals return to play when they take on Worcester State College of Massachusetts tomorrow in a single nine inning game.