Bethany sweeps Geneva at home opener

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va (April 20) - The Bethany College baseball team scored 22 runs in its two-game sweep of Geneva Friday afternoon at its home-opener at Bethany Park.

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1 Final: Bethany 6, Geneva 5 (Box Score)
• Game 2 Final: Bethany 16, Geneva 12 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 7-16, 4-6 PAC | Geneva 17-8, 6-6
• Location: Bethany Park | Bethany, West Virginia

GAME 1: Bethany 6, Geneva 5

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bethany gave senior pitcher Nick Gross (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) a two runs of support in the first inning on with RBIs from sophomore Kevin Marthinsen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and junior Tyler Frazee (Markleysburg, Pa./Uniontown).
• Geneva got on the board with a run in the fourth inning, but an RBI-single from senior Matt Cavanaugh (Cranberry Twp.,Pa./Seneca Valley) got the run back in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 3-1.
• The Bison improved their lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning with the help of two walks and RBI hits by Frazee and senior Ryan Nickerson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach).
• Geneva sliced into the lead in the eighth inning and chased Gross with two runs on three hits.
• After the Golden Tornadoes drew walks to load the bases and score one run to make the score 6-4, junior Neil Woods (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) recorded the final four outs and stranded the potential game-tying run on first base in the ninth inning to earn the save and preserve the win.  

GAME NOTES

• Woods, Nickerson and junior John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) each had two hits in the win, while Nickerson and Frazee each finished with two RBI.
• Gross (3-4) went 7.2 innings and held Geneva to four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts to earn the win. 

GAME 2: Bethany 16, Geneva 12

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In an offensive battle, the Bison held off a late surge by Geneva to claim a 16-12 win and a two-game sweep.
• Bethany scored in each of the first four innings, including a six-run outburst in the third inning, to race out to a 12-3 lead.
• The Bison scored six runs in the third with the help of two crucial errors by the Golden Tornado defense that extended the inning.
• Bethany eventually built its lead to 15-4 when it added three runs on three hits, including a two-RBI single by freshman Kyle Goodwin (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg).
• Geneva scored four times in the seventh inning to make the score 15-8, before freshman Ethan Young (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) drove a ball over the left field fence for what appeared to be his first-career home run. Unfortunatly, he passed the lead runner who had retreated to first base and was ruled to be out to make the score 16-8.
• The Golden Tornadoes got a grand slam in the ninth to pull within four, 16-12, but did not get any closer.

GAME NOTES

• Marthinsen led the team after going a perfect 5-for-5 at the dish with three RBI.
• Sophomore pitcher Isaac Wengert (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) tossed 6.1 innings and yielded eight runs (five earned) with two strikeouts to earn the win on the mound.
• Freshman Brandon Wagner (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) added three hits and three RBI in the win, while Goodwin had three RBI.
• Woods had three hits and three runs scored.

UP NEXT:

• Bethany hits the road tomorrow, Saturday April 21 when they travel to Grove City for a PAC doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.