BOX SCORE: GAME TWO
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Game two of Wednesday's double-header against Carleton College resumed Thursday for the Bethel University baseball program, as the two teams had endured a 13-inning 4-3 Bethel victory the day before that made it nearly impossible to finish game two. Play resumed in the top of the fourth inning, as the Royals owned a 7-6 lead starting the second day of play. Unfortunately, BU was unable to maintain its lead, as the Knights came from behind to defeat the Bethel's baseball club in extra innings 9-8.
The Royals opened up the first inning yesterday with a 5-1 lead.
Matt Rowley (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.),
Mike Sedjo (Sr., West Chicago, Ill.),
Jesse Nickols (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.),
Esteban Abbey (Jr., Chicago, Ill.), and
Mike Whartnaby (So., Libertyville, Ill.) each recorded an RBI in the first frame.
Carleton clawed its way back, however, to capture its own five-run inning in the top of the third to go ahead 6-5. BU ended the final half-inning of Wednesday's play with a two run effort, though, to give the Royals the 7-6 lead after three.
Matt Pryor (Fr., St. Paul, Minn.) owned the pitching mound to start the day for the Royals, as he went continued his outing from day one to pitch 3.2 more innings Thursday. Pryor struck out two and walked one, however, allowed two runs to score in the top of the seventh inning with a one-run lead.
Jesse Nickols showcased why he is the team's leading home run hitter in the bottom of the seventh, as he evened the game back up at eight with a bomb over the left field wall.
The Knights were out to prove, however, that making the trip from Northfield, Minn. for a four-inning affair was worth it Thursday, as Carleton drove in the go-ahead run in the very next inning. BU managed to put a runner on first with one out in the bottom of the inning, yet an inning-ending double-play closed the game at 9-8 in favor of the Knights.
Jesse Nickols had the best effort at the plate in the two-day eight-inning game. Nickols finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, which includes the game-tying homer in the eighth.
David Freed (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.) went 2-for-3 with a walk, which allowed him to score one run and drive in another.
David Freed did come in to pitch the final 1.1 innings and gave up the run to the Knights in the eighth. Therefore, with the short outing Freed pitched 2.1 innings in two days and finished 1-1.
The Royals fall to 18-18 on the season and 9-9 within conference play. With a .500 winning percentage in conference play, BU still hangs with three other teams for the final two spots in the MIAC Tournament. One of the teams it competes against is Concordia College, who it will face on Saturday at Hargis Park in a double-header slated to begin at 1 p.m.
