ST. PETER, Minn. – The Bethel University baseball team brightened up a gloomy day with a 9-2 victory over Gustavus Adolphus in the series opener Saturday afternoon at Gustie Baseball Field. The host Gusties held off a late rally from the Royals in game to, 4-3, to force BU to settle for a series split.

Junior Joey Fredrickson was strong at the plate going 3-for-7 with two runs and three RBIs. Freshman Ty Koehn went 3-for-5 while driving in a pair of runs for the Royals. Junior Jake Marsh went the distance to pick up the win in game one improving to 2-2. Marsh did not allow a walk and struck out one on his fourth start of the season.

The Royals, who are now 11-8 overall and 3-3 in MIAC play, travel to Carleton College Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Game 1: Bethel 9, Gustavus Adolphus 2
Mitch Butvilas sparked a three-run first after the Royals started the game with back-to-back strikeouts. His single to right followed by a walk to Joey Fredrickson set up freshman power hitter Mitchell Jerde to blast his third home run of the year and second in as many games.

Gustavus got two back on the Royals in the bottom half of the inning cutting the lead to one. With two outs in the second Sam Horner put the Bethel lead at 4-2 with his first long ball of year and the Royals never looked back.

The Royals put up five more unanswered runs in the fourth. After reaching on a leadoff walk Parker Mullenbach scored on a single to right by Caleb Brandt. Brandt went on to score via a passed ball while Fredrickson drove in a run. Koehn drove in the innings final two runs before being Fredrickson was thrown out at third to end the half inning.

Marsh held strong down the stretch forcing zeros the rest of the way. The Gusties attempted to battle back in the seventh by putting runners at first and second. Marsh, showing his poise, induced a ground ball over to first to give Bethel the opener.

Game 2: Gustavus Adolphus 4, Bethel 3
An eighth inning rally was not enough to earn the Royals a come from behind victory. BU did its work with two outs with Butvilas driving in the Royals first run of the game on a single to right. Moments later Fredrickson sent a two-run shot over the wall but it was not enough to give BU the win in game two.

GAC put up all its runs in the third inning. The Royals almost escaped the inning with just one run allowed but a fielding error extended the inning before a sophomore starter Peyton Gallagher recorded a strikeout to end the damage.

In the loss Gallagher went six innings allowing one earned run while striking out two. Out of the pen, Brady Leahy threw two innings of shutout ball while allowing two hits and striking out one.