LA CROSSE, Wis. -  The Bethel University baseball team beat the No. 24 ranked Buena Vista University by a final score of 9-6 in La Crosse, Wis Friday afternoon in game one of their NCAA regional playoff. Bethel had played Buena Vista three times earlier in the regular season campaign on Feb 25 and 26 and went 1-2 against the Beavers. 

Marcus Krupke earned his sixth win of the season on the bump, throwing 5.1 innings with five allowed runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. 

Jordan Krupke and Keenan Hodgkin had successful days at the plate for the Royals with Krupke getting three hits and Hodgkin picking up four RBI's highlighted by his huge three run blast in the first inning. 

The Royals carried the momentum they possessed from winning the MIAC title and immediately jumped on beaver pitching in the top of the first inning when Justin Winterfeldt stroked an RBI single to left, Keenan Hodgkin blasted a three run homer, his third in the last four games. Nolan Jurgenson followed that up with a solo homer of his own to put the Royals up 5-0 early. 

The Beavers got a couple runs across the plate in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 5-2 but the Royals answered back in the top of the second when Hodgkin picked up his fourth RBI on the day when a single to right drove in Tommy Friesen putting the Royals up 6-2. 

This game remained at this score for a while, with both pitchers and defenses holding the bats silent but the Royals ran away with this one in the top of the sixth when Nick Kulseth hit an RBI double to center field, Matthew Carlsen smoked an RBI double to right field, and Carlsen came home to score on the fielding error by the Beaver third baseman. 

Buena Vista scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and another run in the bottom of the ninth but it was too little too late as the Royals earned the 9-6 victory in game one of their regional playoff. 

Blake Williams earned his sixth save of the season giving up one run in his two innings pitched. 

Up Next: 
The Royals take on Hosts - UW-La Crosse Eagles on Saturday, May 20 at 2:30pm.


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