After amassing 33 runs in a doubleheader last week, things were vastly different on April 7, as the Bees opened Cross County Conference play hosting Covington.
While the Bees offense was being silenced by Austin Angle, their defense was struggling to keep Covington from crossing the plate, as Bethel suffered a five-inning 11-0 run rule loss to the Buccs.
Covington didn’t waste any time setting the tone in this game, as Corey Haines opened the game with a walk, and out later, Steven Blei singled, and Brandon Flora drove in the first run of the game with a fielder’s choice. 
With two outs, Bethel pitcher Joseph Ellerbrock tried to get out of the inning with only one run crossing the plate.
But the Buccs went to work.  A walk to Andrew DeHart and following Bees error allowed Flora to score the second run.
Sheldon Rank then drove in two more runs with a single, giving the Buccs a 4-0 lead before Bethel even came to the plate.
Colin Hoke gave the Bees their first base runner, after being hit by a pitch in the second inning.  J
oseph Serrer later singled, and following a balk, both runners moved into scoring position.  Angle then educed Dustin Myers to pop out ending the biggest threat the Bees would have all night.
Covington added two more runs in the third inning, including a wild pitch and a single from Bryton Lear, pushing the Buccs lead to 6-0.
Three more runs came in to score in the fourth, as Rank drove in two with a single, and he later scored on a wild pitch.  As the Bees trailed 9-0, a run rule was within reach for Covington. 
Ellerbrock started the fourth with a single but was picked off second. 
Dehart blasted a two-run homerun off of the Bees in the final inning, putting Covington up 11-0, and they would need to hold off the Bees in their final at bat to end the game early.
Bryce Laycock reached to open the inning for Bethel, but just as quickly, the next three batters struck out, sending the Bees to 1-2 on the season.
*Also last week, the Bees split a doubleheader with Northwestern losing the opener 18-17, and bouncing back to win the nightcap 16-12.
Bethel trailed 17-10 heading into the final inning of the opener, then came storming back to score seven runs only to fall when the host Warriors scored in the bottom of the inning to escape with the win.
Hoke had a big day for Bethel, with two homeruns.
In the second game, Bethel led quickly 4-0, but trailed 10-5 three innings later.  The Bees scored 10 times over their last four at bats to salvage the win.
Bethel knocked around 17 hits in the game, including homeruns from Ellerbrock and Serrer.