DULUTH, Minn. – The Bethel University baseball team saw its 11-game winning streak come to a halt dropping the opener of a twin bill at St. Scholastica Saturday afternoon, 5-2. The Royals denied the Saints of sweep with a big ninth-inning rally in game two taking it 7-6.
 
Nick Kulseth led the Bethel offense going a combined 4-for-7 with three RBIs.
 
Game 1 | St. Scholastica 5, Bethel 2
Bethel produced some two-out production putting runners on the corners and Nick Kulseth at the plate. Kulseth roped one up the middle scoring Noah Wenberg who reached via an error as BU took an early 1-0 lead.
 
St. Scholastica responded back putting a pair in scoring position with one out in the home half of the second. An error in the outfield allowed a two to score leading to a five-run inning for the Saints. Only two of those runs was earned.
 
BU could never recover fully form the damage only getting one of them back. In the fourth Nolan Jurgenson took a bases loaded RBI hit-by-pitch before the Royals stranded them loaded a batter later.
 
Despite being handed the loss, starter Marcus Krupke was smooth sailing after that second inning. After giving up two hits in the fourth he got out of it with a double play before tossing a 1-2-3 fifth and sixth inning.
 
Game 2 | Bethel 7, St. Scholastica 6
The Royals were plagued by errors again leading to a pair of three run innings for the Saints.
 
Taylor Brodersen recorded BU's first hit of the game with two outs in the fifth. A single by Jurgenson followed by an error and the Royals had them loaded for Tommy Friesen. A double to right center by Friesen drove in a pair before BU cut the deficit in half with Matthew Carslen scoring.
 
Bethel's bullpen kept the Saints in check giving the Royals one last chance in the ninth.
 
Comeback efforts began with one out and the bases loaded. Ty Koehn singled to center making it 6-4. A strikeout by Luke Carlson and the Royals were down to their final out.
 
Kulseth came through once again drawing the count full before singling up the middle tying it at 6-6. Two pitches later Marcus Krupke single to center scoring Koehn as the eventual game winner.
 
Blake Williams came in and shut the door in the ninth picking up a strikeout to put the Royals back in the win column. Picking up the win was Michael Meadows throwing 2.2 innings of shutout ball.
 
 
Up Next
Now 16-3 on the year and 3-1 in MIAC play the Royals flip the script to an early key series with Saint John's at Hargis Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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