ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a match-up that featured the top two teams in the MIAC standings, the Macalester College baseball team split a conference doubleheader with Bethel University Wednesday afternoon at Nicholson Field. Sophomore outfielder Tristan Lander (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson) delivered a two-out double for a walk-off, 6-5 victory in the first game, then the Royals came back with an 18-4 win in Game 2. Macalester is now 16-9 overall and 6-2 in conference play, while Bethel is 17-6, 7-1 MIAC to regain the top spot in the MIAC standings.

In the first game, Bethel scored a run in the top of the first inning, two more on a home run by Ben Trucke in the second and another in the third for a quick 4-0 lead. Macalester responded in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with one out on a single by senior Josh Planko (Northville, Mich./Northville), a hit batter and an error. Senior outfielder Raymond McCaskey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs) followed with a two-run double to plate Planko and senior infielder Nathan Gumagay (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) and cut the deficit in half. The Scots weren't done in the third, as junior infielder Holden Peacock (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid School) came home on a wild pitch and first year outfielder John McMurray (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends) drove in McCaskey with a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 4-4.

Bethel was able to push a run across in the top of the fourth on a wild pitch for a 5-4 lead, which the Royals carried into the bottom of the seventh. Macalester led off the seventh with a single by junior Ben Oberdorfer (Jacksonville, Fla./Paxon School), who was replaced by pinch runner Brennan Murley (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman). Murley was bunted to second by Gumagay, then advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher. After an infield single by Peacock that kept Murley at third, McCaskey laid down a perfect bunt and beat out the throw while driving in Murley with the tying run. A strikeout brought sophomore outfielder Tristan Lander (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson) to the plate with runners at first and second and two out. After taking a ball, Lander lined a double off the left-field fence, allowing Peacock to race home with the walk-off, game-winning run. The victory ended a 10-game losing streak to Bethel.

McCaskey and Peacock each had a pair of hits, with McCaskey driving in three runs and Peacock scoring twice. Senior pitcher Tommy Ball (Wayne, Pa./The Shipley School) pitched a scoreless inning of relief, and senior pitcher Evan Kang (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Village Christian) finished the game with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.

Momentum stayed with Macalester at the start of Game 2, with the Scots scoring three runs in the first inning. Peacock came around to score on an error from second base, then senior outfielder Niko Alexander (Bethesda, Md./Walk Whitman) delivered a two-run single to bring home McMurray and McCaskey. The Royals responded with six runs in the top of the third and added another run in the fourth for a 7-3 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, senior infielder Tristan Jones (Fairfield, Conn./Greens Farms Academy) hit a double that brought home senior catcher Stephen Paulsen (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) to make the score 7-4. It was all Bethel after that, as the Royals scored seven runs in the top of the fifth and added four more runs in the sixth for a commanding 18-4 advantage.

Bethel batted around in three different innings and registered 18 hits to earn the split. First year pitcher Gavin Addison (Chicago, Ill./Latin School) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Scots.

Macalester continues MIAC play with a doubleheader at Concordia College on Saturday, April 11. The first game starts at 1:00 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn.