Bison swept by Muskingum

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va. (April 23) - The Bethany College baseball team 

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1 Final: Muskingum 8, Bethany 5 (Box Score)
• Game 2 Final: Muskingum 15, Bethany 6 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 8-19 | Muskingum 14-19
• Location: Bethany Park | Bethany, West Virginia

GAME 1: Muskingum 8, Bethany 5

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bethany built up a 4-0 lead with a pair of two-run innings in the first and second. The big hit came in the form of a two-RBI double by senior Kelaen Welch (Follansbee, W.Va./Brooke) in the second inning.
• Muskingum managed to slice the lead in half in the third inning despite zero hits. The Muskies loaded the bases with a walk, hit-by-pitch and an error, before scoring on a bases loaded walk to make the score 4-1.
• Bethany allowed a second run while turning a 4-6-3 double play and escaped further damage with a fly ball out to strand a runner at third and maintain a 4-2 lead.
• Junior Tyler Frazee (Markleysburg, Pa./Uniontown) led the bottom of the third off with a double, before freshman Kyle Goodwin (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) helped rebuild the Bison lead to three, 5-2, with a RBI-single with two outs.
• Muskingum inched closer with runs in the fourth and fifth innings to make the score 5-4 entering the seventh.
• The Muskies got a lead-off home run to tie the game and scored three more runs with the help of a throwing error, sacrifice fly and a two-out single.
• The Bison managed to send the tying-run to the plate with two runners on and two outs, but an infield ground ball ended the game. 

GAME NOTES

• Senior pitcher Andrew Gilliland (Gahanna, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) pitched 4.1 innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits to earn a no-decision.
• Welch was the team's top batter with two hits and two RBI.
• Bethany was charged with three errors in the loss, while Bison pitchers yielded only three earned runs. 

GAME 2: Muskingum 15, Bethany 6

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Muskies scored all 15 of its runs in three innings to send the Bison to a two-game sweep.
• After two scoreless frames, Muskingum struck for four runs on five hits to establish a lead.
• The Muskies put Bethany away with a seven-run fourth inning that was aided by a Bison miscue.
• Bethany's bats came alive in the fifth inning with three runs on five hits, including RBI base hits by sophomore Kevin Marthinsen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and junior Jake Stemmerich (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) to make the score 11-3.
• Muskingum managed to extend its lead to 15-3 with four runs in the seventh inning.
• Bethany did not go down quietly, as Marthinsen and Stemmerich delivered two more RBI base hits. Marthinsen singled in one run, before he was brought home when Stemmerich belted a two-run home run over the right field fence to bring the score to 15-6.

GAME NOTE

• Stemmerich finished with a home run, double and four RBI in the game, while Marthinsen added two RBI singles.

UP NEXT:

• The Bison travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 25 to play a non-conference game at La Roche at 4 p.m.
• Bethany also announced today that it will make-up its conference doubleheader at Westminster on Friday, April 27 at 1 p.m.