LA CROSSE, Wis. - The Bethel University baseball team forced a winner-take-all matchup against No.13 Wisconsin-La Crosse in late game heroic fashion during a 4-3 win Sunday morning, but fizzled out in the winner-take-all matchup, getting crushed by the Eagles by a final score of 16-3 to see their season come to an end in this regional tournament.
At the plate,
Matthew Carlsen lead the way for the Royals, with five hits and two RBI's on the day.
Andrew Cardenas played hero in game number one, with a pinch hit two-run home run to secure the 4-3 win for Bethel.
Both games featured a barrage of pitchers deployed for the Royals, with game one featuring four pitchers and game two featuring six pitchers. Blake WIlliams earned the win in game one with no runs, no walks, and two strikeouts through two innings while
Ryan Parker took the loss in game number two, giving up six runs through 1.1 innings.
Game 1 | Bethel 4, Wisconsin La-Crosse 3
Bethel was down early in this game when the Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the second inning to go up 1-0 before
Tommy Friesen tied the game up in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly to left to make the score 1-1.
Bethel's season was put on life support when the Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the fourth and bottom of the fifth to go up 3-1.
The Royals made it a one run game in the top of the seventh when
Justin Winterfeldt crushed a solo homer to left to to cut the deficit to 3-2.
With the season on the line, in the top of the ninth inning,
Andrew Cardenas, with
Nolan Jurgenson on first and two outs, came in to pinch hit for only his eighth at bat of the season, and crushed a cold-blooded two run homer to right-center field to give the Royals the 4-3 lead.
Michael Meadows would come in to pitch the bottom of the ninth for the Royals and held the Eagles scoreless to give Bethel the 4-3 victory and pick up his first save of the season.
Blake Williams earned the win on the day, throwing two innings with no runs, no walks, and two strikeouts.
Game 2 | Bethel 3, Wisconsin La-Crosse 16
Disaster struck early for Bethel in the winner-take-all game when UW-La Crosse scored a run in the top of the first, and then scored a whopping nine more in the top of the second, forcing Bethel to make two pitching changes during the span, to put Bethel into a 10-0 hole early.
Bethel got on the board in the bottom of the third when
Justin Winterfeldt got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to cut the lead to 10-1.
The Eagles continued to get consistent offesne in this one, scoring two runs in the fourth inning, two runs in the sixth inning, and two runs in the eigth inning to go up 16-1 on the Royals while Bethel's bats were silenced.
Matthew Carlsen drove in a couple runs with a single to right field in the bottom of the eigth inning to cut the deficit to 16-3, but it was much too little, much too late, as the Royals took the 16-3 loss and saw their season come to an end.
Although a variety of Bethel pitchers gave up runs in this one,
Ryan Parker took the loss, giving up six runs through 1.1 innings.
Bethel ends the season with a 32-12 (14-6) record after winning their second straight MIAC title and third in Bethel baseball history.
