Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 There is, indeed, joy in big numbers. Just ask the Hamline baseball team.

The Pipers had a pair of six run innings and a nine run explosion in defeating Bethany Lutheran, 7-5 and 20-1, Friday at CHS Field.  Jacob Picht had five hits and Tyler Summers added four as the Pipers improved to 24-12 overall on the season. 

The season's largest crowd on the warmest day of the spring at CHS saw things get off to a good start with HU president Fayneese Miller throwing out the first pitch. It took the Pipers a couple of innings to get loose but when they did, it was a sight to see. In game 1, it was a six run third inning that broke the game open. The first seven batters HU sent to the plate reached base. Brandon Rushmeyer, the second of four HU pitchers who took the mound, earned the win. Zach Smith worked the last two innings to earn his second save of the season. 

Picht got the second game off to a roaring start with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning. HU went on to slap out 20 hits, eight of which went for extra bases. Picht added a couple of doubles. the first baseman now has hits in 10 of his last 11 games and has moved into third place in the MIAC with a .429 batting average. 

Hamline led 5-1 in the fifth when they erupted for nine runs, eight of which came after two were out. One inning later, HU added six more tallies. It was the second 20-run explosion of the season for Hamline, the MIAC leader in Runs (310), Average (.334) and On-Base Percentage (.432).  Zach Munsterman started and went the first four innings to earn the win. 

HU now heads back to conference play Saturday with a doubleheader at Carleton. Game time is 1:00 p.m.