Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS - It's been nearly three years since Bethel University last defeated St. Thomas in baseball, and more than 10 years since the Royals have shutout the Tommies. Tonight, Travis Adams (Sr., Chanhassen, Minn.) pitched a five-hit complete game shutout of the #17 team in the nation (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll), recording four strikeouts while getting some good defense behind him as Bethel won the first game of the MIAC season opening doubleheader 1-0. St. Thomas won the nightcap of the twinbill 10-3.

Bethel scored the game's only run in the bottom of the third inning as Tim Churchill (Jr., Mt. Prospect, Ill.) led off with a double and came in to score when the next batter, Tim Oesterlin (Jr., Rochester, Minn.), hit an RBI triple. Oesterlin was 2-for-2 in the game with a sacrifice fly and a stolen base. The starting centerfielder also made a nice running catch in the top of the sixth inning to preserve the shutout.

The Royals put runners in scoring position in every inning, but only needed the one run thanks to the pitching effort of Adams, who stranded five Tommie runners in scoring position. In the fifth inning, St. Thomas led off with a single and a double, but Adams struck out the next two batters and induced a line drive to first baseman Bob Tokar (Jr., Elk River, Minn.) to close out the Tommie half of the inning.

Both pitchers went the distance and pitched a remarkably efficient game, as the score would imply. The first game took a mere 90 minutes to play. Bethel became the first conference opponent to shutout St. Thomas since Hamline did it last season.

In game two, Bethel continued to keep St. Thomas runners from touching home plate until the third inning when the Tommies pushed three runs across to take an early lead. The Royals answered back in the bottom half of the inning as Oesterlin hit his second triple of the evening, this time with no one on base and two outs. He then scored on a passed ball to cut the Bethel deficit to two runs at 3-1. Unfortunately, the Tommies added to their lead in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings as well, while Bethel only managed to score single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

The Royals' only RBI of the night came in the bottom of the sixth as Sean Flaherty (Jr., Shoreview, Minn.) lined a base hit up the middle to score Oesterlin, who led off the inning with a single. Oesterlin was 2-for-3 in the nightcap, bringing his season average to .472.

Bethel used a number of pitchers in game two. Matt Johnson (So., Vadnais Heights, Minn.) got the starting nod and pitched into the third inning before turning the ball over to Kyle McCracken (Jr., Johnston, Iowa). McCracken also pitched two innings, as did his relief, Chris Dent (So., Marietta, Ohio). Closer Ben Turnwall (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the effort.

With the series split, Bethel remains .500 both overall and in conference play at 9-9 and 1-1, respectively. The Royals are scheduled to take on Northwestern at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon in a single, nine inning game for their next contest. As with all games during the spring in Minnesota, weather could be a determining factor as to whether or not the game is played or postponed. Continue to check the Bethel athletics website for information regarding this week's games.