Benilde-St. Margaret’s overcome a 3-0 deficit in game one but couldn’t duplicate the feat in game as the Red Knights split a home-and-home doubleheader with St. Louis Park.

BSM took the first game of the twinbill at home, which was the North Suburban Conference opener for both teams, when Grant Besse hit a two-out, two-strike, two-run single to cap a 4-3 victory but the Orioles used six unearned runs to claim a 9-4 win in the non-conference nightcap at Keller Field.

Ryan Froom’s two-run home run capped a three-run third inning in game one for St. Louis Park but the Red Knights chipped away at that lead.

BSM got one run back in its half of the third inning when Keaton Studsrud singled with one out, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Besse’s bloop base hit down the right field line.

The Orioles appeared poised to expand on their 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth when they loaded the bases with one out. However, Besse made a leaping grab of Mitchell Thomas’ line drive and turned it into an unassisted double play.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Red Knights cut one more run off of SLP’s lead as Dan Labosky singled to center to lead off the inning and Sam Lynch followed with a bunt hit, beating out a throw from Thomas and, as Labosky tried advancing to third, the throw from first baseman Dan Foltz sailed past third base, allowing Labosky to score.

Michael Kaminski, who allowed just three hits over three innings but need 102 pitches to get through six innings, gave way to John Backes, who worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, striking out two while needing just nine pitches.

His effort gave BSM an opportunity to come from behind in the seventh inning off relief pitcher Cole Hoyt, who had worked a 1-2-3 sixth, getting three called third strikes.

Nathan Hanks bunted for a hit to lead off the inning and, after advancing to second via a balk, moved to third on another Labosky single.

The Orioles made no attempt to keep Labosky from taking second base and then walked Sam Lynch to load the bases. After Hoyt got Studsrud to strikeout for the first out, he got to a 2-2 count on Besse before the Red Knights’ cleanup hit drove a ball over third base and down the left field line, plating both Hanks and Labosky with the final two runs of the game.

Backes, who worked a scoreless seventh inning in Saturday’s 10-4 win over Duluth Denfeld, earned his first career victory. He has struck out four batters in his two innings of work in two games.

Kaminski walked four and struck out four in his six-inning stint, making his second start of the season.

Besse, who was 2-for-2 with three RBI, also walked twice, reaching base safely in all four of his at bats. He reached base safely in seven consecutive plate appearances, including the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Labosky also singled twice and scored a pair of runs.

Game two saw the Orioles take a 3-0 lead through four innings off of BSM starter Mikey McGill. Connor Day, who was called up from the Red Knight B-Squad for the game, came on and, despite not giving up an earned run, saw his team fall behind 9-0 heading into the seventh inning.

After Austin Broz shut down the Red Knights on five hits over six innings, BSM reached Curtis Greenbush for four runs, using two hits, three walks and a hit batter, before Joey Jaramillo came on to record the final two outs of the game, allowing a walk between his two outs.

The Red Knights are slated to return to conference play, Wednesday, with a 4:15 p.m. game at St. Francis before returning home for a 4:30 p.m. conference game, Friday, with North Branch and an 11 a.m. non-conference game at home with Edina.

This game story and complete game statistics are available here.