NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Bethel University baseball team was topped by St. Olaf, 5-1, in game one Tuesday afternoon before bouncing back with an 11-1 run-rule victory for the series split in game two.
 
Marcus Krupke drove in Bethel's lone run in the opener before getting the win in game two where he gave up one run through 7.1 innings of work while striking out three.
 
Bethel moves to 28-8 on the year and 14-4 in MIAC play where it holds a one game advantage on Saint John's who sits just below them in standings. Before is MIAC series finale with Concordia on Saturday where they will only need one win to claim the MIAC regular season title, the Royals host Northwestern Wednesday afternoon at Hargis Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
Game 1 | St. Olaf 5, Bethel 1
St. Olaf produced the game's first run with two outs in the third, but the Royals quickly tied it up in their half of the fourth.
 
With runners at first and second, Krupke sent a 1-2 pitch through the right-side scoring James Woelfel from second.
 
The Oles from there scored five unanswered while tying it up in the bottom of the fourth.
 
An error plagued the Royals in the sixth of what would have been the second out of the inning. A single and a foul out would have ended it but instead the Oles got an RBI single and two RBI double for three unearned runs.
 
Max Sutter received the loss in a complete game effort where he struck out three.
 
Game 2 | Bethel 11, St. Olaf 1 (8 innings)
Four different Royals had a multi-RBI game as the bats came alive in the nightcap.
 
It started a bit slow as the Royals scored one in the first and third while stranding a runner in scoring position in the second and fourth. But from that point on the Royals produced runs in all its remaining at bats.
 
Noah Wenberg closed out a two-run sixth with his second RBI of the game legging out a triple to right field.
 
With the bases loaded in the seventh, Matthew Carlsen drove in two with a double to right field. Tommy Friesen followed with an RBI ground brining in his second run of the game. Justin Winterfeldt capped it on an RBI single to center scoring Carlsen.
 
Krupke gave up his lone run in the seventh while picking up his sixth win of the year. He gave up six hits in his 7.1 innings of work while striking out three.
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