Box Score

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - Nearly a month after the Bethel Royals were supposed to play their series with the St. Olaf Oles, the two teams finished out each other's regular season schedules with a single seven inning game today at Hargis Park. 

A far cry from the 13-inning marathon the two teams played the first time around, today's 17-3 victory for the Oles showed why they have now won 12 conference games in a row, and why they are playoff bound for the ninth consecutive year.

The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to RBI doubles by Brandon Carr (Sr., Fergus Falls, Minn.) and Dana Hegman (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.), but after that, it was all St. Olaf.  Carr tacked on a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, providing a fitting bookend to a remarkable career as both a hitter and a fielder.

Bethel finishes the season at 21-18 overall and 11-9 in conference play.  Meanwhile, St. Olaf heads into the MIAC playoffs with an overall record of  26-10, and a conference record of 16-4.

The Royals will graduate eight seniors in John Buteyn (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Carr, Ethan Formo (Granite Falls, Minn.), Isaac Hamilton (Chaska, Minn.), Hegman, Tyler Kramer (Maplewood, Minn.), Clint Nelson (Monticello, Minn.), and Kris Pulford (Richfield, Minn.).