ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Augsburg University baseball team traveled to Arden Hills, Minn. to take on Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-leading Bethel University on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Royals 7-6 and 13-3 at Hargis Park.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Bethel 7, Augsburg 6; Bethel 13, Augsburg 3
LOCATION: Hargis Park, Arden Hills, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 7-18 overall (4-9 MIAC), Bethel 22-6, (14-2 MIAC)

GAME ONE RECAP
• The Royals struck first in the early game, getting a run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Auggie bats came to life in the third inning with Steven Salz (SR, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) hitting his fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot that scored both Michael Weiss (SR, Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar HS) and Clint Mattson (SR, North Branch, Minn./North Branch HS). Two more Augsburg runs would cross the plate that inning via a wild pitch and a fielding error to help the Auggies open a 5-1 lead.
• In the top of the fifth, Carson Tomony (SR, Madison, Wis./Madison East HS) doubled to deep left field to score Salz and extend the Auggie advantage to 6-1. In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals pulled within two with a three-run home run to right center field.
• After a bases-loaded walk cut the deficit to just one run in the sixth, Bethel's Tommy Friesen laced a single through the left side, bringing both the tying and go-ahead runs across the plate in the process.
• Trailing 7-6, Ty Gage (JR, Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) took a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh to put the tying run on base, but the Auggies went down in order from there as the Royals hung on for the one-run victory.
• Salz finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored while Tomony was 2-for-2 with a run batted in and a run scored. Gage and Weiss were each 2-for-3 while Mattson was 2-for-4.
• Myer Schmitz (SO, Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) made the start on the mound for Augsburg, allowing four hits and four earned runs with one strikeout in five full innings.

GAME TWO RECAP
• After the Royals started the scoring with a pair of runs in the second inning, Connor Stoik (SR, Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial HS) smacked a leadoff single in the top of the fourth for his 100^th career hit. Just one batter later, Wiess doubled to center field to bring Stoik around to score and cut the deficit to one.
• Bethel put together a strong showing in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs to open a commanding 6-1 lead. Augsburg got one back in the fifth when Gage his a leadoff homer to left, but the Royals matched them with another run in the bottom half to keep the advantage at five runs.
• Salz continued his strong day at the plate in the sixth, hitting a solo home run, his second of the day and sixth of the season, to make it 6-2 in favor of the Royals.
• That proved to be all the offense Augsburg could find with the Royals putting up six runs in the seventh to take the game 13-3 in seven innings.
• Austin Lang (FY, Anoka, Minn./Anoka HS) made the start and took the loss for Augsburg, allowing eight hits and six earned runs with a strikeout in 3.1 innings of work.
• Gage was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run while Brandon Lockhart (SO, Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) was 2-for-3.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• With two home runs on the day, Salz now ranks fifth all-time at Augsburg with 13 in his career. His six this season are also tied for sixth all-time.
 
FOR THE FOES
• Justin Winterfeldt had a monster game in game two, going 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored. Friesen and Matthew Carlsen were each 3-for-5 in game two.
• John Solfest pitched a complete game in game two, allowing eight hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts in 7.0 innings.

UP NEXT
• With Sunday's doubleheader at St. Scholastica postponed to 5/3 due to weather, the Auggies are next scheduled to host Macalester College on Tuesday, May 2 starting at 2:30 pm.