ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Bethel University baseball team dropped both ends of its home opener Sunday afternoon at Hargis Park. The Royals fell to St. Thomas 6-4 in game one before UST took game two 3-1.

Mitchell Jerde and Joey Fredrickson both went 3-for-8 at the dish. Jerde drove in two of Bethel's five runs while Fredrickson collected the lone RBI in game two. Now 8-7 overall and 0-2 in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, the Royals turn their attention to Wednesday's home doubleheader against Hamline. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Game 1: St. Thomas 6, Bethel 4
St. Thomas struck first blood in the series opener driving in a two-out run. Bethel responded right back in the second as Trey Kocher scored Jerde with a sacrifice fly to tie it at 1-1.

The Tommies took back the lead with a run in third but that lead didn't last long with the Royals putting up a crooked number in the bottom half of the inning. Mitch Butvilas doubled to the gap in right center scoring Sam Horner. Fredrickson gave BU the lead with his single through the right side that scored Butvilas making it 3-2.

Michael Bohlke tossed a scoreless fourth before the visiting Tommies jumped on the right-hander with a three-run fifth inning.

BU got one back to cut it to 5-4 with Jerde's single scoring Butvilas. The Royals stranded runners through the final two frames while UST put up a run in the seventh to win 6-4.

Game 2: St. Thomas 3, Bethel 1
Jake Marsh went the distance along with UST's Graham Laubscher in a rubber match for the nightcap.

UST struck first once again with two-outs in the third. A passed ball allowed Avery Lehman to come in. BU came right back at the Tommies with Fredrickson continuing his offensive success. His single to right allowed Marcus Krupke to score before Sam Horner was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from second.

The conference foes went scoreless until the Tommies broke the tie scoring its leadoff walk in the sixth. Bethel had a runner in scoring position in the seventh as Kocher advanced to third with a flyout from Nick Kulseth. A groundout by Krupke on the next at bat ended the Royals half of the seventh. BU went three up and three down through the final frames as UST plated an insurance run in the ninth.

Marsh suffered the loss in the complete game effort striking out six and allowing one walk.