MINNEAPOLIS – Freshman right-hander
Marcus Krupke and senior right-hander
Michael Bohlke led the Bethel University baseball team to a sweep of Augsburg University Thursday evening at Parade Stadium. Krupke's quality start led the Royals to a 1-0 extra inning win in game one before Bohlke went the distance in game two earning the Royals a 2-0 victory.
The two shutouts improved the Royals to 14-11 on the year and 6-6 in MIAC play. Bethel steps away from conference play to take on the University of Northwestern Monday at Hargis Park. First pitch of the non-conference doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
Krupke (2-1) fell just short of going the distance tossing 8.2 innings of shutout work. The St. Michael, Minn. native gave up two hits while striking out a career-high eight and did not allow a walk.
Bohlke (2-0) in his fifth start of the year tossed a two-hit complete game shutout while striking out a season-high eight batters.
Game 1: Bethel 1, Augsburg 0 (9 innings)
Krupke capped off his first time through the Auggie order by striking out the side in the third.
Ty Koehn broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single in the fourth and moved up to second two batters later on an errant pickoff throw but a strikeout by
Mitchell Jerde ended the half inning.
Augsburg broke up Krupke's no hit bid in the fourth with a one out single to left. A stolen base moved the Auggie runner into scoring position before Krupke induced a fly out to strand the runner.
Neither team could find success at the plate with both starters being in a grove.
In extras,
Trey Kocher took advantage of another errant pickoff throw moving to second. Back-to-back strikeouts though ended the Royal threat in the eighth.
It was not pretty by any means but in the ninth Bethel tallied a run with two outs.
Mitch Butvilas singled to center before stealing second moments later.
Joey Fredrickson got the job done by putting the ball in play on a ground ball to short. The Auggie shortstop left the throw to first short forcing the ball to go out of play and allowing Butvilas to advance home for the game-winning run.
Augsburg tallied its first hit since the fourth. With two outs Bethel went to the pen moving Krupke to short and bringing in
Brady Leahy. It took four pitches for Leahy to pick up his second save of the season. A ground ball to short gave way for Krupke to step on the bag at second for the final out.
Game 2: Bethel 2, Augsburg 0
With game one going into extra innings, game two of the doubleheader bumped down to a seven inning game.
In the third Kocher led off with a double down the left field line and moved over to third on a wild pitch.
Sam Horner got the job done connecting on a duck snort to right scoring Kocher to make it 1-0. The Royals put a runner in scoring position in the fourth and fifth but were unable to push another run across.
On the mound, Bohlke retired nine of the next ten he faced. Augsburg tallied a hit in the third and fourth and would not see a runner on the base paths until a two-out walk in the sixth.
The Royals added an insurance run in a well offensively executed seventh. Kocher laid down a perfect infield single bunt down the third base line. On the play, pinch runner Ty Kohen moved from first to third with the help of an Auggie throwing error. Krupke then sent a fly ball to left for the first out, but an on target throw retired Koehn at the plate who was attempting to tag on the play. BU stayed aggressive at the plate as Horner drove in his second run of the game sending a double to left on the first pitch he saw.
Bholke came out strong in the seventh forcing the first two Auggie hitters to go down looking at strike three. A two-out full count walk did not rattle the veteran on the mound. Dialing in, Bohlke put the icing on top of the cake getting the Auggie nine hitter to strikeout to complete the doubleheader sweep.
