Micomonaco home run propels Bison over Geneva

Steve Janik, Assistant Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va. (April 28) - The Bethany College baseball team used a Saige Micomonaco (Middletown, Ohio/Madison) pinch-hit three-run home run to comeback and defeat Geneva 4-3 in a Presidents' Athletic Conference game on Friday afternoon.

With the win, Bethany jumps to 13-19-1 and 7-11 in the PAC, while Geneva drops to 8-26 overall and 2-18 in the conference.

Micomonaco only registered one plate appearance but made it count, mashing his first home run of the season. Brandon Wagner (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) each tallied a hit and a run scored. Starting pitcher Nick Gross (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) shook off a rocky start to go eight innings, scattering eight hits and allowed three runs, two of which came from solo home runs. Neil Woods (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) registered an RBI on a sacrifice fly an also tallied his sixth save of the season.

The Golden Tornadoes hit the board early, scoring two runs in their first at-bat, highlighted by a solo home run from Tyler Pagaduan to leadoff the game. The added one more on another solo home run in the third.

From then on Geneva starter Branden Schlick cruised through the first five frames, allowing just two hits to go with three strikeouts. 

The Bison needed just one pitch in their half of the sixth to take the 4-3 lead.

Wagner started the big inning with a single to center just to steal second base. After Devin Braddock (West Brownsville, Pa./Brownsville) was hit by a pitch, Lee dropped a bloop single to left to load the bases. Woods cracked the board for Bethany with a sac fly to center field to bring in Wagner. 

Micomonaco then stepped in to pinch-hit and wasted no time, crushing the first pitch he saw deep to left-center and putting the Bison on top.

Gross then went onto retire six of the next seven to pave the way for Woods to slam the door shut in the ninth, ending the home portion of the Bison's schedule on a high note.

Bethany travels to Beaver Falls on Saturday, April 29 to finish the series with Geneva. The twin bill is set to begin at 1 p.m.