Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS - While many Minnesotans believed that baseball in the beloved Metrodome ended when the Twins bowed out of the ALDS last season, the Bethel Royals showed a faithful late-night crowd otherwise.

The Royals scored in each of the last four innings of the first game, including a three-run seventh, and then used a four-run fifth inning in the second game to defeat neighborly Northwestern 6-2 and 7-3 to start the season on a winning note.

The Eagles tagged starting pitcher Kyle McCracken (Sr., Johnston, Iowa) for an unearned run in the first inning before he proceeded to shut them down for the next few innings. McCracken went the distance and allowed just two runs on four hits to notch his first victory of the fledgling season.

Bethel tied the game in the fourth inning thanks to a single by John Slick (Sr., River Falls, Wis.), followed by a passed ball, catcher error, and RBI ground out by Erik Anderson (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.). The next inning, the Royals took the lead when Tim Churchill (Sr., Mt. Pleasant, Ill.) scored off of a Tim Oesterlin (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) single. In the seventh inning, Bethel scored three times off of three singles, a walk, and a stolen base for some insurance in the win.

In the nightcap, Bethel scored twice in the third inning thanks to RBIs by both Jay Slick (So., River Falls, Wis.) and older brother John. The Royals went on to score four more times in the fifth inning, highlighted by Mike Sedjo (So., West Chicago, Ill.) stealing his way around the bases and scoring on an Oesterlin sacrifice fly after a leading off with a walk; a 2-RBI triple by Anderson; and an RBI single by Bob Tokar (Sr., Elk River, Minn.).

Chris Harrell (Jr., Minnetrista, Minn.) gave the Royals five strong innings on the mound for his first win of the season. The right-hander gave up just one earned run off of three hits, inducing 10 ground ball outs compared to just one fly ball out. David Freed (Fr., North Oaks, Minn.) and John Slick pitched an inning apiece to close out the victory.

The Royals will put their 2-0 record on the line next Monday against the Jamestown College Jimmies at 5 p.m. in the Metrodome for their next games.