FORT MYERS, Fla. – Bethel University baseball grinded out a pair of wins over Edgewood College Friday afternoon at Terry Park. Behind the strong arm of Connor Malcolm the Royals took game one 6-0 before a late rally comeback captured the nightcap 3-2.

Bethel is off to a 3-1 start for the eighth consecutive season and continues its 12-game Spring Break trip tomorrow against Plymouth State University. First pitch is set for noon Eastern Time.

Junior catcher Mitch Butvilas led the offense going 3-for-8 on the day. As the number three hitter in the lineup, Butvilas drove in four of the Royals nine combined runs. Senior outfielder Sam Horner was 3-for-5 with three walks and two runs. Freshman Marcus Krupke was 2-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs and a pair of walks.

Game 1: Bethel 6, Edgewood 0
Junior Connor Malcolm made his season debut going the distance in shutout fashion. The junior right-hander struck out five in the complete game effort with his only free pass coming on a hit-by-pitch. Malcolm did not allow a runner past first giving up just three hits.

Krupke drove in the game's first run by way of a RBI groundout to score Trey Kocher who reached on a one out walk. With Malcolm in a grove on the mound, the Royals added insurance in the fifth as Butvilas drove in Horner who led off the inning with a double to the left field corner.

Bethel forced Edgewood to go deep into the bullpen as the Eagles struggled to find the zone. The Royals showed their patience at the plate drawing six walks in a four-run sixth inning.  Butvilas had BU's lone hit in the frame as he legged out an infield single to drive in two more runs to make it 6-0.

Game 2: Bethel 3, Edgewood 2
The Eagles struck first in the night cap taking advantage of a leadoff walk in the second. A sacrifice bunt followed by a single through the right side gave Edgewood an early 1-0 lead, but the Royals responded right back.

Thomas Friesen led off the third with a single to center and moved up 90 feet when Nicholas Wibben executed a sacrifice bunt. Three batters later Butvilas scored Friesen with a two out single to right tying things up at 1-1.

Edgewood came right back at BU starter Ty Koehn as a leadoff walk scored for the second straight inning. The rookie southpaw showed his composure recording four straight strikeouts to close out his no decision appearance. In four innings of work, Koehn allowed two hits, three walks and struck out six.

The Royals were not out of it trailing by one through five innings of play. Freshman Mitchell Jerde led off the Royals half of the sixth with a triple that found its way to the right field wall.  Junior Parker Mullenbach tied things back up as his double off the left field fence drove in Jerde. BU played small ball with freshman Trey Kocher. His sacrifice bunt advanced Mullenbach to third before the magic happened with two outs and the nine-hitter Wibben at the plate. Wibben wasted no time driving the second pitch of the at bat to right center giving Bethel its first and only lead in the night cap.

Brady Leahy picked up the win tossing three shutout innings of relief. The junior right-hander did not allow a hit and struck out one.