MINNEAPOLIS - The final trip to U.S. Bank Stadium for the Bethel University baseball team ended with a bang as the Royals cruised past UW-Platteville by scores of 12-1 and 8-1. Three straight innings of three runs to close out game one and a quick start in game two gave Bethel a safe cushion the rest of the way.
 
After four innings the Royals only led 3-1, but a two-run triple from Ty Koehn in the fifth opened the offensive floodgates. Koehn added a two-run single in the next inning as well and the game ended 12-1.
 
Bethel's Connor Malcolm pitched seven innings, allowing one run and seven hits while striking out six batters. Conversely, the Royals' offense forced the Pioneers to use six pitchers in the game.
 
A five-run first inning propelled Bethel to another comfortable win in the second contest. Joey Fredrickson opened up the scoring with a two-run double, and three more hits in the inning added a run each. The Royals chipped in another two scores in the second inning and one more run in the fourth.
 
Peyton Gallagher threw four and one-third innings of one-run ball and fanned seven Pioneers on the way to his second win of the season. Brady Leahy and Jake Marsh finished off the game with two scoreless frames between them.
 
Bethel collected 24 hits over the two games and struck out just twice. The Royals are now back to .500 on the year at 3-3. A 10-day break leads into the annual spring break trip to Fort Myers, Fla., which begins Friday, March 13 against Wisconsin Lutheran at 8 a.m. EDT.