BOX SCORES: GAME ONE | GAME TWO

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – After splitting a pair of conference games against Augsburg College last week and finding themselves in third place among conference competitors, Bethel University was eager to welcome Gustavus Adolphus College to Hargis Park Tuesday. The Royals, however, were unfortunately surprised by the 4-8 (MIAC) Gusties, who came in and handled BU 8-2 in game one. Gustavus nearly pulled off the series sweep, as they jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning of game two, but Bethel battled back to grab a 9-7 victory.
 
Game one was all Gustavus, as the Gusties poured two runs across home plate in the first, two in the fourth, and four runs in the fifth inning. Bethel mustered two unearned runs in the seventh, but it wasn't near enough in the 8-2 outcome. The Gusties' hurler Taylor Fish was dominant in his first start of the season, pitching a complete game and allowing no earned runs, while allowing five hits and striking out three.
 
None of the Royal batters finished the first game with explosive numbers, but it was Chris Davidson (Sr., Plantation, Fla.), who drove in his first RBI of the season, and Mike Whartnaby (So., Libertyville, Ill.), who recorded the other run batted in.
 
In the first seven-inning affair, BU utilized a slew of pitchers, including the starter David Anderson (Sr., Willmar, Minn.). “DA” went three innings, giving up two runs and five hits, while striking one and walking two. Freshman Matt Pryor (Fr., St. Paul, Minn.) pitched the final 2.1 innings, striking out one and walking one, while allowing no runs scored.

The second seven-inning contest looked gloomy early, as the Gusties put up a five-spot on the scoreboard in the first inning. But the Royals did an outstanding job of keeping its composure to battle back in the second. From the second through the sixth inning, BU scored each inning, which compiled to be nine unanswered runs. Bethel got its only run of the second inning when Jay Slick (Sr., River Falls, Wis.) doubled down the left field line and scored later on a base hit by right fielder Jesse Nickols (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.).
 
The third inning was more impressive, as Travis Piepho (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.) led off the bottom of the frame with a solo homerun. The Royals then loaded the bases for Grady Rolando (Fr., Woodbury, Minn.) hit tallied a sacrifice fly. Esteban Abbey (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) also hit a deep sac fly to right-center, which scored Bethel's fourth run of the game.
 
BU went ahead 7-5 after the fourth when David Freed (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.) led of the inning with a walk, followed by a Piepho HBP and a Matt Rowley (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) double to right center that scored two. Rowley then scored on a wild pitch later in the inning. Jesse Nickols then led off the fifth with his fifth homerun of the season, which lead the team in total dingers, and BU added an insurance run on a Mike Sedjo (Sr., West Chicago, Ill.) double that scored Rowley in the sixth.

After managing just five hits in the first affair, Bethel's bats came alive in the second. Game two featured 11 hits and three walks, which helped BU compose nine runs. The MIAC batting leader, Matt Rolwey went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and three runs scored. Jesse Nickols finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored, while Travis Piepho and Jay Slick each finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Piepho also carded an RBI on the bomb to deep left-center.

Buddy Flaherty (Sr., Victoria, Minn.) was the hero in game two, as he came in to pitch nearly four innings of shutout baseball. Flaherty was the third reliever to pitch in game two, striking out two and walking none in 4.0 innings of work. Flaherty allowed just one run to score in the final inning of play. Matt Rowley also came in to pitch the final out of the game, striking out the final batter to pick up his first save of the season.
 
Bethel now stands at 17-15 (8-6 MIAC) overall and prepares for the 12-0 Tommies of the University of St. Thomas, who they will face Saturday in St. Paul.