BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – On a beautiful Wednesday afternoon the Royals welcomed the Pipers from Hamline University to Hargis Park for Bethel's MIAC home opener. The home team was fresh off of a high-scoring victory against North Central University on Tuesday afternoon and looking to stay undefeated in conference play.
 
The Royals knew the Pipers were going to be a tough opponent after the visitors had taken the Minnesota Gophers to a 16-inning contest earlier in the spring. In game one BU needed extra innings to knock off the Pipers 4-3, however, in the second the Royals got on the board early and never looked back, winning the conference affair 6-2.
 
In the opening game of the twin bill David Anderson (Sr., Willmar, Minn.) got the nod on the mound. The senior issued back-to-back walks to the first two batters he faced and then Mark Radmacher singled to center loading the bases. With the bases loaded and no outs the Pipers brought Senior Andy King, who is the conference leader in both RBI's and home runs this season, up to the plate. Anderson was able to limit King's damage to only a sac fly to the outfield. Hamline then added another run on a fielder's choice before Anderson worked himself out of the first inning jam with only giving up two runs. Anderson then pitched phenomenally not allowing another earned run over the course of the next six innings.

In the bottom of the third Ryan Hangartner (So., Watertown, Minn.) led off the inning by knocking a single through the left side of the infield bringing Nik Anderson (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn.) to the plate with no outs. On a beautifully executed hit-and-run Anderson smacked a single to right field allowing Hangartner to reach third base. After a pop fly Travis Piepho (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.) laced a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Hangartner. Jay Slick (Sr., River Falls, Wisc.) then slapped a single to left field scoring Anderson. The Royals knotted up the game in the sixth when Hangartner earned a bases loaded walk scoring Jesse Nickols (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.).

The scheduled seven-inning contest went to extra innings after neither team scored in the seventh. But in the bottom of the eighth Luke Schultz (So., Forest Lake, Minn.) singled and advanced to second before scoring later on a deep, game ending drive to right center by Travis Piepho. Buddy Flaherty (Sr., Victoria, Minn.) continued his dominance on the mound, picking up the win after pitching a scoreless eighth inning.
 
In game two, Matt Rowley (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) toed the rubber for all seven innings allowing only two runs in the contest. BU got on the scoreboard early, as Rowley helped his own cause by singling in David Freed (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.), who reached on an error to start the first. After a combined three scoreless innings for both teams, the Pipers put up the equalizer on a Jordan Buck solo homer in the top of the fifth. The Royals answered back pushing four runs across the plate in the bottom of the frame. RBI's from Rowley, Slick, Schultz and Hangartner highlighted the inning. King homered in the top of sixth for Hamline before Slick picked up his second RBI of the game on a double down the right field line to push the score to 6-2 in favor of the home team. Rowley then pitched a scoreless seventh to give the Royals their second win of the day. Slick went a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate, while Rowley, Schultz, and Hangartner all collected two hits at the plate.
 
BU remains unbeaten in MIAC play, pushing their league record to 4-0. They will travel to Northfield this weekend for a doubleheader with St. Olaf that is slated to begin at 1 pm on Saturday afternoon. The Pipers fall to 0-4 in conference play and will be off until next Tuesday when they host Carleton.