Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MARION, Ill.—Despite not being able to kick off their 2014 schedule on Friday night the Royals were still able to salvage four games at Rent One Park in Marion, Ill. Bethel split a double-header Saturday against UW-Stout and returned Sunday to split a pair of games—defeating UW-Stout 9-8 and falling to Robert Morris University 6-1.
 
Game One | Bethel 9, UW-Stout 8
Bethel scored the game's first five runs and added three more in the final frame to go up 9-2 with a half-inning remaining, but the Blue Devils made it very interesting as the game ended with a final score of 9-8 in favor of the Royals.
 
Tyler Heitmann picked up his first win of the season, as the sophomore hurler mowed down the first nine batters in the Blue Devil lineup. However, a questionable play at first base allowed UW-Stout a base runner in the fourth inning and Charlie Meyer clubbed in two runs with a homer in the ensuing at-bat.
 
Teammate Nick Grachek came on in relief for the second consecutive day, allowing zero runs in 1.2 innings of work. UW-Stout mustered five walks and two hit by pitches in the seventh inning before Keaton Schut came in to earn his second save of the season.
 
Leadoff batter Bryce Marquardt excelled at the plate, finishing the morning affair 1-of-2 with two runs scored and two more driven in. Nik Anderson was a perfect 2-of-2 with two walks and two runs, while Matt Conrad was 1-of-1 with two walks and two runs batted in. Conrad laced an RBI-triple to left center in the opening frame. 
 
Game Two | Robert Morris 6, Bethel 1
Sophomore transfer Matt Herringshaw pitched a six-inning gem for the Royals in game two, but came away with a no-decision as a 5-run frame for the Eagles in the seventh inning voided Herringshaw's performance. The right-handed hurler allowed just one unearned run on four hits and zero walks, while striking out six Robert Morris batters. Herringshaw fooled opposing hitters twice in the opening three innings and RMU's only score was because of an error earlier in the inning.
 
The Eagles then scored five runs in the final frame. RMU's first batter reached base because of a hit-by-pitch, which was followed by an error in the next at bat and the Royals' fortune went down from there.
 
Bethel was only able to gather five hits throughout the seven-inning game, with five different players collecting a base-knock. Matt Conrad again delivered a clutch hit, as his bullet to centerfield scored Bryce Marquardt from second base. Marquardt stole his third base of the day to get into scoring position and Conrad delivered him home with the base hit. Marquardt on the season is 5-of-5 in stolen base attempts and the Royals as a team are 8-of-8.
 
The Royals will travel to Fort Myers, Fla., this Friday to participate in 10 games as a part of their annual spring break trip. Bethel begins its nonconference contests with a double header against Edgewood College Saturday, March 15.