BOX SCORES: GAME ONE | GAME TWO

ST. PAUL – In a monumental game between the Bethel University baseball squad and the University of St. Thomas, the Tommies took two from the Royals in St. Paul in a pair of close finishes. BU dropped the first game by one run 4-3, and fell in the second by being shut out 2-0. Bethel looks to stay in the hunt for post-season, as the Royals host a pair of double-headers this week against Carleton College and Concordia College.

David Freed (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.) toed the pitching rubber in game one and performed exceptionally well. Despite giving up three runs in the bottom of the first inning, Freed settled in nicely over his 5.2 innings of work. The junior hurler blanked St. Thomas in every other inning, except in the fourth, when the Tommies plated the game-winning run. Freed struck out two and walked one in the Sunday matinee, yet allowed ten hits and four runs.
 
After being down early 3-0, the Royals fought back in the fourth with a pair of runs. Matt Rowley (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) led off the rally with a leadoff single, followed by a Jay Slick (Sr., River Falls, Wis.) RBI-double to right field. Slick later scored on a single by Esteban Abbey (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) that traveled softly to center field.

Bethel attempted to capture game one with a late comeback in the top of the seventh when Travis Piepho (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.) tripled to right field with one out. However, two deep fly's for BU ended the threat and allowed just one run to score.
 
The Royals accumulated 10 hits in the first contest, including a multi-hit affair by Jesse Nickols (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.), Jay Slick, and Travis Piepho. Nickols finished 2-for-3, Piepho ended his day 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Slick was 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI. Altogether, Bethel grounded into two double-play outs and left eight runners stranded, including three in the top of the sixth inning.

UST's Maher improved to 10-0 on the season with the 4-3 victory, and picked up his 10th win in the month of April.

Bethel University's club went scoreless in game two, however, had a number of opportunities to score. Plagued by the same illness that disrupted them in the first effort, the Royals helped out St. Thomas by hitting into three double-plays in game two. Additionally, BU left five runners on base, which included a situation with runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth inning.
 
The Tommies recorded its only two runs of the game in the second inning on a two-out single that scored two.

Matt Rowley was given the nod to start game two and performed well, giving up two runs through 5.1 innings. Rowley surrendered seven hits and two walks, but struck out three in the process. Buddy Flaherty (Sr., Victoria, Minn.) pitched .1 and .2 innings in game one and game two, respectively, and allowed no runs, hits, or walks.

BU was only allowed four hits throughout the second competition. Of the four knocks, David Freed recorded two opposite-field singles to left field. Jay Slick and Jesse Nickols were the only other Royals to compose a hit.

With the MIAC losses, Bethel drops to 8-8 in conference play and 17-17 overall. Currently, the Royals are in fourth place among conference opponents, however, four teams have an MIAC winning percentage of .500. Bethel will be tested this week, as the 5-11 Knights of Carleton swept Augsburg College earlier this season and nearly defeated St. Thomas last week. Saturday's foe, Concordia College, is currently in third place with a conference mark of 9-7.

In the final week of regular-season play, continue to stay tuned to athletics.bethel.edu for all information and updates in regards to the postseason picture.