ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—TNT used to have a slogan that said, "We know drama." But the Bethel University baseball team showed Thursday afternoon that they too know drama as well.  The Royals (25-5, 10-2 MIAC) overcame a 3-8 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one against Hamline University and defeated the Pipers (10-18, 3-7 MIAC) in game one by a final score of 10-9 in 10 innings and in game two by a final tally of 9-4.
 
Sam Horner led off the seventh with a walk, which was followed by a pinch-hit single from Joey Fredrickson, a catchers interference during Esteban Velasco's at-bat, an error during Bret Neuville's at-bat, and a pinch-hit home run by freshman Mitch Butvilas with two runners on.
 
The theatrics continued in the ninth when Hamline went ahead 9-8, but stranded two runners on second and third with just one out. The Royals matched the Pipers with a leadoff single from Bryce Marquardt, which helped him break Bethel's all-time record for career hits that was set by Kirby Carr from 2004-07.
 
Esteban Velasco then bunted Marquardt to second and Bret Neuville advanced Marquardt to third on a single, which put runners at the corners for who else but Mitch Butvilas. Butvilas delivered again with a base hit through the left side, but BU stranded runners on first and second with just one out.
 
Hamline then led off the top of the 10th with a double and single to put runners on second and third with one out, but Jake Marsh got out of his second straight jam with two infield pop fly's to send it to the bottom of the frame knotted at 9-9.
 
John Horner led off the 10th with a walk and his brother Sam Horner bunted him to second before Joey Fredrickson lifted a walkoff double to right center that scored Horner from second.
 
The Royals uncharacteristically used six pitchers throughout game one and it was Jake Marsh that earned the win. Marsh allowed one run on four hits and one walk, while striking out two in 3.0 innings pitched.
 
Five players finished with two hits throughout the game, including Butvilas and Fredrickson, who didn't swing the bat until the seventh inning. Bret Neuville, Michael Wesner, and Lars Anderson also went 2-for-5 at the plate.
 
Bethel utilized their momentum from game one and pounced immediately in game two. Noah Luedtke, who started the second contest, put the Pipers down in order in the top of the first and the Royals' offense responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame.
 
Esteban Velasco doubled down the left field line before Lars Anderson hit a two-out double and Mitch Butvilas recorded a two-out single to the same spot as Velasco. Michael Wesner then put the exclamation point on the inning with a two-run home run to deep left center field.
 
The Royals added two more in the second when Lars Anderson plastered a double to center with the bases loaded, which made the score 6-1.
 
Hamline made things closer with a three-run home run in the third, but Bethel plated one run in the fourth thanks to Bret Neuville's RBI single and two in the fifth thanks to RBI singles from Bryce Marquardt and Bret Neuville.
 
Neuville, Anderson, Wesner, and Velasco all finished with two hits in game two. Anderson collected two doubles and three RBI, Neuville and Wesner each drove in two runs, and Velasco finished with a pair of doubles.
 
Houston Droel came in for Noah Luedtke in the fourth inning and earned the win by giving up two hits and zero walks, while striking out three in 4.0 innings.
 
Now 25-5 overall and 10-2 in MIAC play, Bethel's baseball team will enjoy a bye this weekend before welcoming Macalester College next Tuesday for a weekday doubleheader. The Royals and Scots are scheduled to throw the first pitch at 2:30 p.m.