BOXSCORE 1 | BOXSCORE 2 ARDEN HILLS, Minn. -- Louie LaChapelle (SR, Eagan, Minn.) went 4-for-7 wth a double, RBI and two runs scored in the doubleheader, as his Augsburg College baseball team claimed a split with Bethel University in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Tuesday afternoon at Bethel's Hargis Park.

Augsburg (20-13 overall, 8-8 MIAC) won the first game 3-1, but Bethel (23-14 overall, 10-10 MIAC) claimed a 6-5 win in the second game. Augsburg was the home team in both games, played at Bethel's home field.

With the split, both teams remain in the hunt for a spot in this weekend's MIAC postseason playoffs, which will now feature the top six teams in the standings in a single-elimination format. Bethel has now wrapped up its regular season, while Augsburg has two MIAC doubleheaders remaining -- against Gustavus on Wednesday (5/8) at 2:30 p.m. at Concordia-St. Paul, and at St. Olaf on Thursday (5/9) at 2:30 p.m.

There are currently seven teams with between eight and 10 conference wins, battling for the final five spots in the playoff field. St. Thomas has already clinched the top seed and the MIAC regular-season title with a 17-1 league record.

The Auggies have had more than their fair share of close games over the last two weeks. Since resuming the season after an 11-day delay due to weather on April 27, all 12 of the Auggies' games have been decided by either one or two runs -- six one-run decisions and six two-run decisions. Augsburg is 6-6 in those games.

Tyler Flakne (SO, Fridley, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) had a strong pitching effort for the Auggies in the first game, striking out four while allowing just three hits and four walks en route to the victory, improving to 2-0 on the season. Tyler Beck (JR, Fairmont, Minn.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced to claim his first save of the year.

The Auggies scored all three of their runs in the fifth inning, taking advantage of two Bethel errors. LaChapelle led off the inning with a single. Billy Brookshaw (FY, Prescott, Wis.) reached base on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and the two baserunners each moved up a base on another sacrifice bunt. Gary Mariscal (JR, Savage, Minn./Prior Lake HS) drove home LaChapelle on an RBI single, and Brookshaw scored on a sacrifice suicide squeeze bunt by Brent Kolbow (SR, Forest Lake, Minn.). A fielding error then enabled Mariscal to score.

Bethel's lone run came in the top of the first, when Mike Schultz (SO, Forest Lake, Minn.) doubled to bring home Jarad Watts (FY, La Quinta, Calif.). Joe Zorn (SO, Stillwater, Minn.) pitched a complete-game effort for the Royals, striking out three while allowing just three hits and not walking a batter.

Bethel scored the first five runs of the second game, but Augsburg nearly clawed its way back to claim the victory. 

The Auggies scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning, sending nine batters to the plate. The Auggies plated runs on RBI singles by LaChapelle, Zach Pavlisick (SR, Phoenix, Ariz./Central HS) and Gordon Kappers (SO, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS). 

The teams exchanged runs in the fourth inning, as Bethel's Mike Schultz tripled and scored on an RBI groundout by Matt Rowley (SR, Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins HS), and Mariscal scored for the Auggies on a Kappers single in the bottom of the frame. Augsburg's final run came in the bottom of the sixth, when Kolbow singled to bring home Steven Piette (FY, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS).

RBI singles by Rowley and Luke Schultz (JR, Forest Lake, Minn.) put the Royals on the board in the top of the first inning, and three more runs came across in the second, as Mike Schultz doubled to plate a run, and Luke Schultz drove in two runs on a single.

LaChapelle went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the second game for the Auggies, while Kappers and Mariscal had two hits each. Mike Schultz, Luke Schultz and Austin Hanson (JR, Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) had two hits each for the Royals.