Bison drop season-opening series to No. 4 W&J

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

WASHINGTON, Pa. (March 5) - The Bethany College baseball team was dealt a season-opening sweep by No. 4 Washington & Jefferson Monday afternoon in a Presidents' Athleic Conference (PAC) doubleheader.

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1 Final: Washington & Jefferson 13, Bethany 3 (Box Score)
• Game 2 Final: Washington & Jefferson 10, Bethany 3 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 0-2, 0-2 PAC | W&J 3-1, 2-0 PAC
• Location: Ross Memorial Park | Washington, Pennsylvania

GAME 1: Washington & Jefferson 13, Bethany 3 (Final/8 innings)

• W&J got off to a quick start with three runs in the top half of the first to take a 3-0 lead.
• Bethany's first two batters reached base in the bottom half, but a double-play limited the Bison to just one run scored to cut the W&J advantage to 3-1.
• The Presidents got another run in the third with the help of an error and would chase junior pitcher Nick Gross (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) in the fourth with two more runs on three hits.
• The Bison put runners on second and third with no outs in their half of the fourth with the help of a double by senior second baseman Ryan Nickerson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach). Senior shortstop Jacob Miller (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) drove in one run on a groundout and senior catcher Matt Cavanaugh (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley) singled up the middle to help Bethany pull within three runs at 6-3.
• W&J pitchers would limit the Bison to four scattered hits over the next four innings to close out a 10-run win in eight innings.
  • Starting this season the PAC is playing two nine inning games rather than a three-game series.
  • If a team is winning by 10 runs after the seventh inning of game one, a mercy-rule is enforced. This can only occur in the first game of the doubleheader.
• Gross was tagged with the loss after yielding six runs (five earned) on nine hits with two strikeouts.
• Bethany finished game one with 12 hits
• Nickerson led the Bison at the plate with three hits, including two doubles.
• Miller, Cavanaugh, junior centerfielder John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) and sophomore third baseman Kevin Marthinsen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) each finished with two hits.

GAME 2: Washington & Jefferson 10, Bethany 3

• W&J got on the board in the first inning again, but were limited to one hit over the next two frames.
• Bethany sophomore starting pitcher Isaac Wengert (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) was moving along smoothly with seven strikeouts through three innings, before he got into a fourth inning jam.
• W&J drew a lead-off walk and brought home three runs with the help of three hits and a fielding error to take a 5-0 lead and end Wengert's outing.
• The Presidents' collected five more runs on five hits (one error) in the fifth inning to push their lead to 10 runs.
• The Bison got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. Cavanaugh and senior leftfielder Kelaen Welch (Follansbee, W.Va./Brooke) each doubled to start the inning. Bethany added another run in the frame with a RBI groundout that would score Welch to make the score 10-2 after six complete.
• Junior first baseman Jake Stemmerich (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) tacked on another run with a RBI-single in the seventh, but the Bison were retired in order in the final two innings to close out the evening.
• Wengert notched a career-high with seven strikeouts over 3.0 innings of work, but was charged with the loss.
• Three of Bethany's six hits were doubles, including the third double of the day by Nickerson. 

UP NEXT:

• Bethany will travel down to Fort Pierce, Florida for its annual spring break trip later in the week. The Bison will begin play on Saturday, March 10 when they face Northwestern (Minn.) for a twinbill at 12 p.m.
• Live in-game statistics will only be available for a limited number of games during the trip. Box scores will be posted online as soon as they are available.