ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Returning from a near week long absence from the diamond the Bethel University baseball team dropped both ends of a twinbill Tuesday evening to Saint John's at Hargis Park. Comeback efforts fell short in game one, 7-6, before the Johnnies tallied a five-run ninth inning to take game two 9-3.
The Royals drop to 12-11 on the year and 4-6 in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. Bethel makes the quick turnaround to take on Augsburg tomorrow at Parade Stadium, weather permitting. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Game 1: Saint John's 7, Bethel 6
The Royals gained an early 1-0 lead on a six pitch bases-loaded walk to
Parker Mullenbach in BU's first plate appearance of the game. A passed ball in the second scored
Mitch Butvilas to extend the Royals lead to 2-0.
Right-hander
Jake Marsh made his fifth start of the season retiring the first 10 Johnnies he faced.
SJU got a hold of Marsh in the fourth using a two run home run to tie it up at 2-2. The offensive showcase continued in the fifth with five runs forcing the Royals to go to the bullpen.
Matthew Bohlke put the Royals back in the dugout with a strikeout.
Showing its fight at the plate, Bethel sparked a comeback with Mullenbach launching his first home run of the year. The three run bomb pulled BU back within two.
Caleb Brandt extended the inning reaching on an error which the Royals took advantage of with back-to-back singles to bring in Brandt making it 7-6.
Bethel in the sixth put itself in position to tie with a double from
Joey Fredrickson to cap off his 3-for-3 game. A single by
Ty Koehn through the right side looked as if it would score Fredrickson but an on target throw from the SJU right fielder retired Fredrickson at the plate to end the sixth.
In the seventh,
Marcus Krupke and Nick Wibben connected on back-to-back singles to spark a two out rally but a ground out by
Sam Horner ended the Royals rally.
Game 2: Saint John's 9, Bethel 3
Saint John's put two early runs on
Connor Malcolm before the junior right-handed settled in with a scoreless fourth and fifth.
Fredrickson continued his hot hitting ways driving in Bethel's first run to make it 2-1.
SJU's Thomas Meland hit a two run homer in the sixth making it 4-1 before Bethel put up a crooked number of its own in the bottom half of the inning.
Mitchell Jerde singled through the left side scoring Butvilas before Fredrickson scored on a throwing error.
Johnnies reliever Bennett Wiggins kept the Royals off the board the rest of the way while the SJU offensive plated five runs in the ninth to complete the sweep.
