Bethany Baseball Falls to Pitt-Greensburg
March 28 – GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Bethany College baseball team couldn't hold on to a late four-run lead as they fell to Pitt-Greensburg, 8-7, on Monday afternoon.
Bethany (5-8) starting pitcher Joe Giles (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) was in a zone early, holding Pitt-Greensburg (8-8) scoreless over the opening three innings. Giles lasted 4 2/3 innings in the contest, allowing three runs on five hits with a strikeout.
The Bobcats took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning before the Bison responded in their next at bats. Bethany put up four runs in the fifth, stringing together three hits to take a 4-2 advantage over the hosts.
John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) walked and Kelaen Welch (Follansbee, W. Va./Brooke) singled to start the fifth inning rally. Ryan Nickerson (Huntington Beach, Cali./Huntington Beach) then reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, scoring Lee and moving Welch to third to make it a one-run contest (2-1).
Zack Miller (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) then drove a triple to deep center field as both Welch and Nickerson came around to score. Matt Shaffer (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) rounded out the inning with single to drive in Miller, and the Bison held a 4-2 advantage.
Pitt-Greensburg added a run in the bottom of the fifth before Ryan Bisi (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) came on in relief, stranding two Bobcat runners without any more damage. Bisi pitched 2 1/3 innings, striking out three while giving up two runs on four hits.
With a one-run lead (4-3) heading into the seventh inning, the Bison seemingly opened up the game with a three-run inning. Kevin Marthinsen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) highlighted the inning as he hit a two-run double to drive in Sage Micomonaco (Middletown, Ohio/Madison) and Shaffer, giving Bethany a commanding 7-3 advantage.
The Bobcats, however, had other plans in mind. Pitt-Greensburg used five hits to score five runs, including a grand-slam home run with no outs, and retake the lead in the bottom of the eighth, 8-7.
Bethany was unable to manufacture any offense in the ninth as they ultimately fell by one run.
Offensively, the Bison were led by Miller and Marthinsen with two RBIs apiece. Both Marthinsen and Ben Gavlik (Hong Kong/Hong Kong International) totaled two hits for Bethany.
Hunter Kashke (Moundsville, W. Va./Bishop Donahue) also pitched in relief for the Green & White. The freshman threw one scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.
The Bison baseball team will be back in action on Tuesday, March 29 when they host Muskingum for a nine-inning contest at 2:00 p.m.
