No. 2-ranked St. Thomas won its 10th consecutive conference baseball title with Sunday's 4-3, 2-0 sweep of Bethel at UST's Koch Diamond.
Junior RHP Dylan Thomas threw a four-hit shutout and benefited from three double-play grounders in the game-two victory. The Toms won game one, 4-3, as sophomore RHP Steve Maher (10-0) became the first UST pitcher in history to reach 10 wins during the month of April.
The Tommies (28-4 overall, 16-0 MIAC) set a school record with its 19th consecutive victory and also captured the outright conference championship with its sweep and the St. John's split with Gustavus.
Coach Chris Olean's team, which has a five-game lead on the Johnnies with four to play, extended their home win streak to 26 games and has swept 14 consecutive MIAC doubleheaders since April 2011. UST is 14-0 this season in games decided by one or two runs.
Thomas, who improved to 4-0 in MIAC play, became the first conference pitcher in 2012 to shut out the Royals. He struck out six and walked three. Jon Kinsel's two-out, two-run single in the second inning provided both UST runs in the nightcap.
Thomas had an RBI triple in game one to start a three-run first inning and he later hustled home to score on a ball four pitch in the dirt. Tim Kuzniar's RBI grounder scored Charles Bruchu, who walked and stole two bases. Bruchu singled and scored another run in the fourth inning.
Maher pitched 5 2-3 innings and allowed nine hits, two runs and two walks. Reliever Tommy Danczyk got a bases-loaded strikeout to keep the 4-2 lead and end the sixth inning. Mark Ulrich came on to pitch the seventh inning with a two-run lead. He allowed Travis Piepho's triple but was on the verge of securing the save but the potential third out was dropped in center field for an error to score a run that cut the lead to 4-3. Josh Kubitschek came on to pitch and got a fly out and save and strand the tying run at first base.
Bethel (17-17, 8-8) hit into two double plays and stranded seven runners in the opener.
St. Thomas had 17 hits on the day but no players had more than two.
The Tommies travel to Moorhead for a Monday doubleheader against the hot Cobbers, then play a nine-innning game Tuesday night against D-I Minnesota in the final game ever at The U of M's Siebert Field.