SAINT PAUL, Minn.—Bethel University's baseball team gave its fans a thrill Friday evening with a walk-off win over St. Thomas in the opening round of the 2018 MIAC Playoffs. The No. 2-seeded Royals (30-9) trailed the No. 4-seeded Tommies (19-17) by two runs twice in the 10-inning contest, but managed to even the score both times and then loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth for Joey Fredrickson, who recorded the game-winning RBI with a two-out walk that scored Jake Schubert from third. The victory gives Bethel 30 or wins for the third time in the last four seasons.
 
BU will now advance to the winner's bracket of the tournament, where they'll meet Saint John's at noon on Saturday, May 12 at CHS Field. UST will face Gustavus at 3:30 p.m. and the loser of Bethel/Saint John's will meet the winner St. Thomas/Gustavus at 7 p.m.
 
Friday's night cap didn't start out the way Bethel fans would've preferred. St. Thomas drew a one-out walk, then put runners on first and second with a hit-by-pitch, before two RBI-singles. The Royals managed to limit the damage with back-to-back strikeouts, but the Tommies grabbed an early 2-0 lead. UST threatened in the second again with runners on second and third, but ended the frame without a run.
 
BU cut into the lead in the bottom of the second when Jake Schubert notched a two-out single that scored Mitch Butvilas from second base. Bethel had two on with one out in the third, but a groundout and fly out ended the threat.  The Royals did tie it at 2-2 in the fourth, however, when Jake Schubert hit a two-out single, which was followed by a Sam Horner base hit, and an RBI-single from John Leach.
 
Bethel's momentum was short-lived, as St. Thomas led off the fifth with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A one-out single and a two-out double then put the Tommies in front 4-2. The Royals responded with their own two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh. With one out and runners on first and second, UST's pitcher tried to make a throw to second for a potential double play, but the ball got away from second scoring one run and advancing the runners to second and third. John Horner then hit an RBI-groundout to second base, which evened the score at 4-4.
 
Both teams went down in order in the eighth, but the ninth is when things got interesting. The Tommies put runners on first and third with one out, but Jake Marsh was asked to come out of the bullpen and coerced a game-saving double play. Bethel then put the go-ahead runner on second with one out in the bottom of the frame, but UST imposed an infield fly and a groundout. St. Thomas hit a two-out double in the top of the 10th, but was left stranded before BU capitalized on UST's fielding error and three free passes in the bottom of the 10th.
 
The Royals used three pitchers throughout the extra-inning affair. Michael Bohlke gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out six in 5.0 innings pitched. Carson Selin came out of the pen and gave up zero runs on three hits and one walk, while striking out three in 3.1 innings pitched. Jake Marsh was credited with the win, recording one strikeout and one hit allowed in 1.2 frames.
 
Joey Fredrickson and Jake Schubert both ended the night with two hits. Fredrickson was 2-for-4 with a walk, one run, and the game-winning RBI, while Schubert was 2-for-5 with one RBI and two runs—including the game-winner. Austin Ledin was 1-for-2 with two walks and two hit-by-pitches, while Mitch Butvilas was 1-for-3 with two walks.