ALTON, Ill. – The Bethel University baseball team saw its season come to an end dropping both ends of a twin bill to The College of Wooster Monday afternoon in the Alton Regional Finals. The Fighting Scots out slugged the Royals in the opener, 11-8, forcing a winner take all game seven. BU's comeback efforts came up short falling 11-6.
Finishing the year 35-11 it was the most wins in program history to go along with earning the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. They also matched their best record in MIAC play at 16-4.
Notable individual single-season records include
Matthew Carlsen's 56 runs, 73 hits, and 57 RBIs.
Justin Winterfeldt had a single-season record 20 doubles and 119 total bases while he was second in hits with 63 and RBIs at 56.
On the mound, senior
Marcus Krupke issued the fewest walks in a single season allowing a minimal four free passes in 60.2 innings of work. With seven wins this season he brings his career wins total to 20 which ranks second on the program's all-time list.
Game 1 | Wooster 11, Bethel 8
Nolan Jurgenson put Bethel ahead in the second with a two-RBI single to the gap in left after Wooster scored the game's first run in the top of the frame.
BU's bats did more damage in the third with a two-RBI double from Wenberg and a two-RBI single up the middle from
Jordan Krupke.
With a 6-2 lead, starter
Marcus Krupke worked through the Fighting Scots lineup giving up four hits through five innings of work. Wooster jumped on the Bethel starter in the seventh taking the lead with six spot. The Fighting Scots had two RBI singles before a three-run homer to right put them in front.
Wooster opened its lead to 11-6 with a three-run homer to right-center in the eighth. Carlsen got two of those back with a homer over the right field fence.
Game 2 | Wooster 11, Bethel 6
The Royals struck first plating two runs in the third as
Tommy Friesen reached on a dropped third strike with Carlsen coming in to score from second after the catcher's throw down to first went wild.
Ty Koehn scored Friesen with a single through the left side.
Starter
Max Sutter was solid through the first three frames until Wooster put up a four spot in the fourth taking a lead they would never lose.
Bethel still created opportunities in the fifth and sixth putting a runner in scoring position each frame. But would strand a pair each time.
A grand slam for the Fighting Scots made it 8-2, but BU clawed its way back within two after a four-run seventh. After the first three batters reached,
James Woelfel took an 0-2 pitch to the gap in right clearing the bases with a double.
Nick Kulseth brought in BU's final run of the game scoring Woelfel on a deep fly ball to center.
Another homer for Wooster in the eighth put it out of reach for the Royals.
