Bison split twinbill at Waynesburg

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 28) - The Bethany College baseball team earned a split at Waynesburg Saturday afternoon. The Bison won the opener 11-4, before losing in game two 8-1 in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader.

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1 Final: Bethany 11, Waynesburg 4 (Box Score)
• Game 2 Final: Waynesburg 8, Bethany 1 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 4-11, 1-3 PAC | Waynesburg 5-13, 1-3 PAC
• Location: Waynesburg Baseball Field | Waynesburg, Pennsylvania

GAME 1: Bethany 11, Waynesburg 4

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bison loaded the bases with two walks and a base-hit, before senior Ryan Nickerson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach) connected on a two-RBI double to give Bethany the lead in the first inning.
• Waynesburg got one run back in the bottom half of the frame, but a throwing error allowed junior John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) to score in the second to rebuild Bethany's lead to 3-1.
• Lee did the damage himself in the fourth inning when he drove home two runs with a double to the right-center field gap to push the Bison lead to 5-1.
• The Yellow Jackets got one run back with a solo home run in the fourth, but a three-run inning that was aided by two errors and two walks helped Bethany take a 8-2 advantage.
• Waynesburg would draw within four at 8-4 with two runs in the seventh, however another three-run frame in the ninth put the game out of reach at 11-4.
• The Bison took advantage of two more errors, while RBI base hits by junior Brandon Wagner (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and freshman Camden White (Keyser, W.Va./Keyser) helped Bethany put the game away. 

GAME NOTES

• Junior Nick Gross (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) improved to 2-3 this season with his second-consecutive quality start. He limited Waynesburg to two runs (one earned) on four hits with three strikeouts over six innings on the bump.
• Freshman Jake Horning (Stow, Ohio/Saint Vincent-Saint Mary) closed out the game with three innings of relief to earn his first-career save.
• Lee and Nickerson each had three RBI to lead the Bison offense, while Wagner finished the game with three hits, three runs scored and a stolen base in the win.

GAME 2: Waynesburg 8, Bethany 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Yellow Jackets limited Bethany to two hits through four innings and powered its way to a 7-0 lead with the help of two home runs early in the game.
• The Bison scored their lone run of the game when freshman Kyle Goodwin (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) doubled to setup runners at second and third base with one out in the seventh.
• Senior Saige Micomonaco (Middletown, Ohio/Madison) picked up the RBI with a ground out to make the score 7-1, but Bethany was unable to get any closer.
• Waynesburg added its third home run of the game and third of the day from Tyler Reis to grab the run back and take an 8-1 lead in the eighth inning.

GAME NOTES

• Sophomore pitcher Isaac Wengert (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) was charged with the loss. Wengert (1-3) went two innings and allowed four runs on nine hits in the game.
• Senior Kelaen Welch (Follansbee, W.Va./Brooke) led the offense with three hits and a stolen base.

UP NEXT:

• Bethany is back on the diamond tomorrow, Monday, April 2 when they travel to Erie, Pennsylvania to take on Penn State Behrend for a doubleheader.
• First-pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m.
• Check the schedule page for live links on gameday.