ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College baseball team defeated Bethel University, 11-3, then fell, 7-5 in Game 2 of a MIAC doubleheader with Bethel University on Tuesday at Nicholson Field. The Scots are now 15-14 overall and 5-11 in conference play, while the Royals are 17-15, 7-7 MIAC.

Bethel opened the first game with three runs in the top of the first inning, aided by two Macalester errors. The Scots came back in a big way, pushing seven runs across on seven hits in the bottom of the first to lead, 7-3. Sophomores Collin Brantner (Farmington, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) and Alex Baretta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) each had two-run doubles, while senior Sam Berk (Miami, Fla./Palmer Trinity School), junior Quentin Stuart (Nashville, Ind./Indiana Academy) and sophomore Ben Castagnetti (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) also drove in runs.

In the bottom of the third, junior Peter Bertel (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) plated first year Jared Abelson (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) with a sacrifice fly. Castagnetti and Stuart both hit solo home runs in the fourth, and sophomore Nick McMullen (Payson, Ariz./Payson) homered in the sixth for an 11-2 lead. Stuart and McMullen are tied for the team lead in home runs with five.

First year pitcher Cole Chang (Pleasantville, N.Y./Collegiate School) settled in and gave up just two hits after the first inning. He pitched six innings, allowing three unearned runs and five hits while walking five and fanning two to improve to 3-1 on the season. Stuart went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a homer and two runs batted in. Baretta, McMullen, Castagnetti and Abelson each had two hits.

In the second game, Macalester answered a Royals' run in the top of the first with a run in the bottom of the second, as Bertel came home on an error to tie the score at 1-1. Bethel broke through with two runs in the fifth, then Mitch Fredrickson homered in the sixth for a 4-1 lead. A pair of groundouts by Castagnetti and McMullen brought home senior Jonathan Melms (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) and Baretta in the seventh to make the score 4-3, Royals.

Bethel put three insurance runs on the board in the top of the ninth and they proved to be the difference. The Scots loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, and Bertel's infield single plated Castagnetti. First year Graham Low (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) followed with a sacrifice fly that brought home McMullen to make the score 7-5. With two out, Berk hit an infield single to load the bases again. But Carson Selin struck out the final batter to end the game in Bethel's favor.

Castagnetti went 3-for-4 in Game 2, giving him five hits on the day. The production raised his batting average to a team-best .436, which currently ranks fourth in the MIAC. Baretta, Bertel and Melms had two hits apiece. Junior right-hander Dylan Edwards-Gaherty (New York, N.Y./American Studies) pitched eight solid innings and took the loss.

The doubleheader marked the final home games for seniors Berk, Melms, Griffen Gallagher (Westport, Conn./IMG Pendleton Academies), Nick Sia (Crofton, Md./South River) and Phillip Stuhr (Onalaska, Wis./Onalaska).

Macalester plays a non-conference game at the University of Northwestern on Thursday, Apr. 28, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in Roseville, Minn.