After rallying for a win in the seventh inning of their season opener, the Raven Baseball team exploded at the plate in game two as they earned a sweep over Bethan (Kan.) College on Laughlin Field at Olsen Stadium on Wednesday.
Benedictine (2-0) scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the opener to earn a 6-5 win and then exploded with a 10-run sixth in game two en route to a 15-1 win over the Swedes.
Michael Kruse earned the opening-game start on the hill for the Ravens and gave up three earned runs off four hits. Kruse gave way to Hunter Ostertag who threw a scoreless seventh inning to keep the Ravens in position to rally in their half of the seventh. Ostertag earned the win as he finished with a strikeout facing just three batters. Kruse finished with six strikeouts over six innings to earn the no-decision.
Michael Slaten put the Ravens in position to earn the opening win with a triple to score Daryl Myers in the bottom of the seventh. After electing to internally walk the next two hitters for the Ravens – Drew Piontek and Jacob Pavlyak – Bethany gave up the game-winning run on a wild pitch by Chase Lorg that allowed Slaten to score.
Myers and Slaten set the table for the Ravens right where they finished off 2020. Myers went 3 for 3 with a double and three runs while Slaten went 3 for 4, recording his first home run to go along with the seventh-inning triple. He also finished with three RBIs while Danny Favazza was credited with an RBI as well.
In game two, Matthew Gephardt earned the start on the hill. He also finished with six strikeouts to earn the win as he threw five scoreless innings for the Ravens. Matt Piontek and Dillon Elliott combined to finish the game for the Ravens, limited the Swedes to just two more hits.
At the plate, the Ravens finished with 19 hits as they recorded 11 extra-base hits. Myers finished with a 4-for-4 effort at the plate as he recorded 6 RBIs off a home run and two doubles. In total, the Ravens finished with nine doubles off the bats of Favazza, Piontek, Jacob Slaten, Pavlyak, and Michael Slaten – who recorded three. Favazza also recorded a triple
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