Four players collected three hits, led by Grant Besse, who drove in five runs and scored two more, and Benilde-St. Margaret’s scored in every inning in a 16-6 win over Fridley.

Eight of the Red Knights’ nine starters collected at least one hit in an 18-hit attack. Jimmy Heck, Gabe MacDonald and Joe Melles also collected three hits in the win.

BSM held a 4-0 lead through two innings when the Tigers scored their first run on a one-out triple by Matt Duehn, plating Matt Neumann, but the Red Knights scored another run in the bottom of the third and then exploded for five runs in the fourth inning.

With one out in the fourth, Melles, Heck and MacDonald all singled and Jack McGinn drew a walk to load the bases, setting up a two-run single by Besse. McGinn scored on an error and Besse scored when Robby Sutherland was hit by a pitch with the bases load.

Fridley managed to hang in the game as they scored two runs on bases-loaded walks in the top of the fifth inning and followed with three consecutive runs scored on wild pitches to close the score to 11-6.

Besse’s RBI fielder’s choice plated a run in the Red Knights’ half of the fifth before a five-run sixth inning ended the game.

Keaton Sutherland opened the final inning for BSM with a double and, one out later, Sam Lynch was hit by a pitch before Melles drilled an RBI single just inside the left field foul line. One out later, MacDonald also drove in a run with a single down the left field line and McGinn followed by getting hit by a pitch. Besse then drove in two runs with another bases-loaded single. After Marcus Barone reached on a wild pitching following a swinging third strike, John Backes pinch hit and drove in the game-ending run when he hit a sharp one-hopper off the glove of pitcher Pat Whalen for an infield single which plated McGinn.

The win went to Scott Quinby, who allowed one hit and one run over the game’s first three innings. He walked two and struck out three in his first varsity start as a Red Knight.

With two wins under their belt, the Red Knights face two tough tests to close out the week. Thursday, they will be at Robbinsdale Cooper for a 4:15 p.m. game between of the of the preseason favorites in the North Suburban Conference race. Saturday sees BSM hosting Hopkins in a key Section 6AA clash which is slated for a 3 p.m. start.

Complete game statistics and play-by-play are available here.