COLLEGEVILLE, Minn.­ – Backs against the wall and the Bethel University baseball team delivered with wins over Saint John's University and the University of St. Thomas in the elimination bracket Friday afternoon and evening. The Royals (33-9) outlasted the Johnnies (25-13) by a final score of 2-1 in the first nine-inning contest. BU then mustered a 3-2 come-from-behind triumph over the Tommies (26-16) in the nightcap.
 
As a result, Bethel knocked both SJU and UST out of the tournament and they advance to championship Saturday for the second time in program history. They'll face Macalester College, who's currently 2-0 in the double elimination tournament, at noon at Becker Field.
 
Friday's opener against Saint John's was an all-out pitching duel. Both teams threw a pair of pitchers, but in the end it was BU's Michael Bohlke and Jake Marsh that were victorious. Bohlke allowed one earned run on seven hits and one walk, while striking out four in 8.0 innings pitched. Bohlke mowed down 15 consecutive batters between the third and seventh inning. Jake Marsh came in to closeout the ninth and earned save No. 7 on the season.
 
The Royals scored one run in the second and later plated the go-ahead run in the sixth. Michael Wesner laced a two-out single to right field, which scored Mitch Butvilas in the second inning. John Horner then delivered a two-out single to center in the sixth that scored Bret Neuville from second.
 
Michael Wesner finished 2-for-4 in the elimination game against the Johnnies, while Austin Ledin, Mitch Butvilas, and John Horner each tallied a base knock.
 
Just like game one, Friday's second nine-inning contest against St. Thomas was a nail-biter. The Royals plated the first run of the game in the fourth when Bryce Marquardt led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then advanced to third on a groundout from Joey Fredrickson and scored on an RBI-single from Bret Neuville.
 
The Tommies responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, which gave UST a 2-1 lead after five innings completed. The Royals answered immediately with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth when Bryce Marquardt reached on a wild pitch. Joey Fredrickson then bunted him to second before Bret Neuville was hit by a pitch. Mitch Butvilas then hit a two-out single up the middle that scored Marquardt and advanced Neuville to third before Sam Horner drove in the game-winning run with an RBI-single to center.
 
Noah Luedtke, who started the game, got through the sixth quickly and handed it off to his bullpen for the final three frames. Luedtke allowed two earned runs on seven hits and zero walks, while striking out three in 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Houston Droel allowed one hit, but struck out three in the seventh and John Leach pitched a perfect eighth and ninth inning, which included a strikeout to end the game.
 
Mitch Butvilas collected two hits in four at-bats, while Bryce Marquardt, Bret Neuville, Sam Horner, and John Horner each posted a hit throughout the postseason matchup.