Box Score  | VIDEOS: Matt Rowley | Luke Schultz

ST. PAUL—For the first time in program history, the Bethel University baseball team was victorious in the MIAC Playoffs with a 4-2 win over Saint John's University Friday afternoon. The Royals (24-14, 10-10 MIAC) relied heavily upon Matt Rowley, who went all nine innings and gave up one earned run after striking out nine and walking zero. Rowley's premier performance completed a week where he struck out 17 and walked two batters in 17 innings pitched.
 
Bethel struck early as centerfielder Luke Schultz jumped on a two-strike pitch that went down the left field line and scored Matt Rowley from third. With one run in and two runners on Jarad Watts had the game's biggest hit with a two-out double that plated two more and broke open the game 3-0 in favor of the Royals.
 
Both pitchers continued to deal the rest of the way, as both Rowley and the Johnnies' (18-16, 9-9 MIAC) Connor Cline pitched complete games Friday evening. David Freed helped Bethel get one more in the fifth, as he led off the inning with a double to deep center field and scored later in the inning on a Matt Rowley sacrifice fly.
 
SJU didn't go down without a fight, however, as Saint John's put two runners on base in the eighth inning and scored one on a wild pitch and the final run on a throwing error. That would be it for the Johnnies, though, as a one-hit ninth led to the eventual 4-2 finish.
 
The Royals will play the No. 1-ranked University of St. Thomas Saturday afternoon in a 2 p.m. matinee. The Tommies, who received a first round bye, lost one game in MIAC play all season—that being to Bethel last Sunday.