COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — After dropping the first game of the afternoon to Gustavus 3-2, the Bethel University baseball team took on St.Olaf in a win or go home elimination game. With the game tied at two in the sixth Issac Call hit a go-ahead two-run bomb to center to give the Royals a 4-2 lead. Adding on an insurance run and closing it out in the ninth to advance to the MIAC championship.
Game one:
The Gusties struck first plating the game's first run on an RBI single down the left field line in the bottom of the second. Adding on another in the third to take a 2-0 lead.
Isaac Call got the Royals on the board in the top half of the fifth with a sharp single to center bringing home
Oran Hinkle from second to make it 2-1.
With the bases loaded and one out in the sixth,
Chris Lavin lined out to short, trying to nab the runner at second the Gustie shortstop fired the ball towards second base and into right field. Allowing
Joe Meurer to score from third to tie it at two.
Max Sutter got the start on the hill for the Royals going 6.1 innings, giving up eight hits and three earned runs while striking out five. Coming away with the loss.
Gustavus plated the go-ahead run in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead that ended up being the final.
Game two:
A pair of solo shots in the third and fourth put the Oles head 2-0 early in the elimination game.
Zach Thompson got the rally started in the sixth with a ground rule double to left center. A pair of walks loaded the bases and
Carson Christiansen plated the
Royals first run on a sac fly to right.
Joe Meurer shot a single through the left side of the infield to bring home the tying run.
Nick Carlson started game two for the Royals and went 8.0 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits with five punchouts to earn his second win of the year.
With a runner on first and no outs in the eighth, Issac Call hit a go-ahead two-run bomb to dead center to give the Royals a 4-2 lead.
Joe Meurer added the insurance run with a RBI double to center to make it 5-2.
Jordan Axberg closed it out in the ninth to earn the save as the Royals took the elimination game, 5-2.
Up Next:
The Royals will now take on Gustavus in the MIAC Championship, needing two wins to claim the MIAC playoff title. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Becker Park.
