Bison Baseball Falls in Extras to Saint Vincent

April 5 – BETHANY, W. Va. – The Bethany College baseball team dropped the season series against Saint Vincent College, 2-1, after suffering a 5-3 defeat at Bison Field on Tuesday. The Bison held a two-run lead (3-1) heading into the top of the ninth before ultimately falling 5-3 in extra innings.

Junior Cody Gross (West Mifflin, Pa./ West Mifflin) got the start on the mound for Bethany (7-11, 3-3 PAC). Gross worked his way out of a jam in the first inning, allowing just one run before inducing a ground out to the third basemen to strand two Bearcats (12-7, 5-1 PAC) and escape the inning without any more damage.

Gross calmed down when he returned in the second, and he held the Bearcats scoreless over the next six innings. After the trouble in the opening frame, Gross didn't allow another hit until the seventh inning.

The Bison offense came alive in the bottom of the third, tying the game at 1-1 after John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) and Adam Becker (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) hit back-to-back doubles.

Bethany took the lead in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Saige Micomonaco (Middletown, Ohio/Madison). Micomonaco drove in Zach Miller (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) after he reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.

Saint Vincent made some noise in the top of the seventh, putting runners on the corners with two outs. Gross quickly shut down the Bearcat threat, inducing a pop fly to the shortstop. The junior's outing lasted seven innings as he yielded three hits and one earned run while striking out two.

Senior Joe Hoffman (Allison Park, Pa./Deer Lakes) came on in relief for Gross, retiring the first three batters he saw in the eighth inning. Hoffman pitched three innings as he gave up two earned runs on three hits to go along with two strikeouts. 

The Bison added some insurance in the bottom of the eighth, totaling one run on one hit. Becker was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Kelean Welch (Follansbee, W. Va./Brooke). Jacob Stemmerich (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) then came up with the clutch two-out single, scoring Becker and giving Bethany a two-run cushion (3-1).

Saint Vincent, however, wouldn't go away easily. The Bearcats rallied for two runs on one hit and a Bison error in the top half of the ninth, evening the contest up at 3-3 and forcing extra innings.

The Bearcats added to their total the following inning, taking advantage of the extra at bats. St. Vincent used a two-run homer with two outs to take the lead, 5-3.

Bethany failed to produce any offense in their at bats in the tenth frame aside from a base knock from Neil Woods (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), ultimately falling 5-3 to the Bearcats after holding the lead for the most of the contest.

Seven different Bison recorded hits in the game. Becker led the way with a hit, run, and RBI for the Green & White. 

Bethany College will be back in action on Wednesday, April 6 when they travel to take on Waynesburg University for a doubleheader that is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.