Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Bethel's baseball team began conference play today with a doubleheader against Saint John's, but was held winless in both games, 3-1 and 12-2.

The Johnnies got to starting pitcher Kyle McCracken (Sr., Johnston, Iowa) early and tagged him for two runs in the bottom of the first before he settled down and shut them out for the next four innings. However, the Bethel offense was unable to provide McCracken with any run support until the top of the sixth inning when the Royals scored their lone run thanks to an RBI double by Tim Oesterlin (Sr., Rochester, Minn.).

In the second game, the Johnnies exploded for eight runs in the second inning and coasted to a 12-2 win over the Royals, who were able to muster just two hits. Bethel scored a single run in the fourth as Oesterlin hit his second double of the day and scored on a single by Jay Slick (So., River Falls, Wis.) in the fourth, and then scored again in the seventh without getting a hit.

The losses set Bethel back to 9-8 overall and 0-2 in conference play, leaving Head Coach Greg Indlecoffer one win shy of 150. The Johnnies improve to 9-10 overall and 2-0 in the MIAC. The Royals are scheduled to take on Augsburg at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday for their next games, which will be at home at Hargis Park.