COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - No. 17/18 Gustavus baseball advanced to the MIAC playoff championship game with a dramatic 3-2 win over Bethel on Friday. The Gusties improve to 35-7 overall and will play for the MIAC playoff title and an automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament tomorrow against Bethel, who defeated St. Olaf in an elimination game. 

After a scoreless first inning, the Gusties took a 1-0 lead in the second as Drake Sien hit a leadoff double to the right center gap and scored on a Joe Burns single down the left field line. 

The Gusties went up 2-0 in the third after Sam Schneider led off with a double down the left field line, advanced to third on a ground out by Danny Gavin, and scored on a sac fly by Brayden Kohls. 

Bethel finally got the Gustie starter Benny Mcdonald in the fifth, scoring after three singles. The Royals then tied the game in the sixth after two singles and a throwing error. 

Mcdonald exited the game after 5.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits with one strikeout in a no-decision. Logan Feeney entered in the sixth and tossed three innings of relief. Feeney did not allow a run with just one hit against 12 batters. 

The Gusties plated the game-winning run in the seventh. Schneider led off with his second double of the game, advanced to third on a groundout by Gavin, and scored on a single to right center by Brayden Kohls. 

Bethel rallied in the ninth by getting the leadoff batter aboard with a walk, who advanced to second on a sac bunt, and went to third on a groundout, but Mitch Casperson struck out the final Royal batter to end the game and earn his first save of the season. 

Feeney improved to 3-1 after three innings of relief. Kohls, Siens, Burns, and Schneider each had two hits. The Gusties collected 11 hits on the day, increasing their total to a new single season program record 491 hits. 
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