Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
NORTHFIELD, Minn. – On a day better suited for staying inside and playing video game baseball, the Bethel Royals rose above the elements and kept themselves in the MIAC race with a pair of wins over Carleton, 2-0 and 6-5.
In game one, Isaac Hamilton (Sr., Chaska, Minn.) pitched his first career complete game shutout, retiring the last 13 Carleton batters he faced. He yielded only two hits while walking none and striking out five and improved his record to 5-2 on the season, which leads the team.
Bethel scored all they would need for Hamilton in the top of the second inning. John Slick (So., River Falls, Wis.) led off the inning with a double, followed by a RBI single off the bat of Sean Flaherty (So., Shoreview, Minn.).
Flaherty took second base on the attempt to get Slick out at the plate and came around to score two batters later when Tim Churchill (So., Mt. Prospect, Ill.) singled, giving Bethel their two runs.
Churchill and Brandon Carr (Sr., Fergus Falls, Minn.) accounted for four of Bethel's six hits with two each. Carr had a double and stolen base as well.
In game two, Bethel overcame an early 5-0 deficit to win their fifth game out of their last six.
The Royals chipped away at the Knights lead by scoring two runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a Tyler Kramer (Sr., Maplewood, Minn.) RBI double and a sacrifice fly by Erik Anderson (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn.) to score Kramer two batters later.
The next inning, Bethel continued to climb back into the game and eventually tied it by the time the side was retired.
With one out, Churchill was hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season. The next batter, Dustin Littlefield (Jr., Rockford, Minn.), reached base by way of catcher's interference. Carr then doubled for the second time in as many games to drive in Churchill. With runners at second and third base, Kramer hit a line drive base hit to score both Littlefield and Carr to make the score 5-5.
The next inning,
Bob Tokar (So., Elk River, Minn.) hit a one-out triple and scored on a Churchill sacrifice fly, making the score 6-5 in favor of the Royals.
Ben Turnwall (Jr., Burnsville, Minn.) preserved the win by pitching a perfect seventh inning for his sixth save of the season.
John Buteyn (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.) started the game on the hill for Bethel and gave way to
Kyle McCracken (So., Johnston, Iowa) in the fifth inning. McCracken worked himself out of a jam, leaving a runner at third base in the fifth and is credited with his second win of the season.
Flaherty had a three-hit game, while Kramer, Carr, Tokar, and Anderson each had two hits to lead the Royals.
Dan Lojovich led the Knights, batting 3-for-4 with two RBI. Jay Melson also had a pair of hits and scored a run.
Bethel improves to 14-12 overall and 4-5 in the MIAC, while Carleton drops to 9-19 overall and 2-10 in conference play. The Royals are scheduled to take on the University of St. Thomas in a make-up doubleheader next Monday in St. Paul beginning at 2:30 p.m. for their next games.
