FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Bethel Baseball team ran between the white lines for the first time this season at Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida Saturday. The Royals took on Skidmore College in a doubleheader to open the 2011 season, but unfortunately lost both games, 6-4 and 3-0.

The Royals received an excellent pitching performance from Chris Harrell, who left the game after the fifth inning after allowing only two earned runs, while holding the Skidmore offense to six hits. Harrell also racked up three strikeouts on the afternoon. Despite the quality start from Harrell, the Royals couldn't hold onto the their 4-2 lead and gave up 4 runs in the top of the 7th. Those runs would prove to be too much for the Royals to overcome, as they could not regain the lead and fell by a final of 6-4. Jesse Nickols and and Travis Piepho were both 1-2 with an RBI on the game. 

In the nightcap, the Royals couldn't muster up enough offense to stop the Skidmore ball club. Bethel strung together only three hits in the game, with Piepho and David Freed both going 1-2 in the game. Erik Anderson accounted for the other hit, as he was 1-3 in the game. Keaton Schut took the bump for the Royals. In his first collegiate start, Schut went three innings giving up three earned runs on two hits. Schut was hurt mainly from the eight walks allowed he allowed to Skidmore. 

While the Royals dropped their first two game, they will continue to get better in the young 2011 season. Bethel will take on St. Lawrence College tomorrow at 4 p.m.