Arden Hills, Minn. -- Doug Sylvester was 4-for-5, Rob Trettin blasted a two-run homer and Dan Matthews picked up his second win of the season with a complete-game six hitter as Carleton College beat host Bethel University, 6-2, in the first game of a MIAC twinbill.
The hosts exacted revenge in game two, blasting a pair of grand slams for a 16-1 win.
The Knights (9-8, 1-3 MIAC) pounded out 16 hits in winning the opener. They scored once in the third on Nick Shepard's run-scoring single and extended to a 2-0 margin in the third on Trettin's sacrifice fly, though it could have been more as they left the bases loaded, three of the 12 runners the Knights stranded in the game.
After Bethel scored in the fourth, the Knights' immediate response was a two-run fifth. Trettin doubled to start the frame, stole third and scored on Shepard's sacrifice fly. Aaron Troyansky scored the other run, as he walked, stole second, moved to third on Shepard's out and scored on Eric Greenlee's single.
Sylvester led off the sixth with a triple and Trettin followed with a home run, giving him three RBI on the game.
The Royals tried to rally against Matthews in the seventh, getting a runner on via a Carleton error and scoring on a double, but rookie Matthews (2-0) recorded a pair of groundouts and a fly-out to end the threat and the game. The righty allowed two unearned runs and walked three with no strikeouts.
As much success as the Knights had in game one, nothing carried over to game two as the Royals chased starter Sylvester in the first inning in romping, 16-1. Brothers Brandon and Kirby Carr did most of the damage, as each blasted grand-slam home runs and accounted for five hits, six runs and nine RBI.
The Knights play three times next week, twice at home, starting with a home game against St. Mary's University on Monday, April 16 at 2:30 p.m.
