Baseball scores 21 runs in sweep of Chatham

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va. (May 5) - The Bethany College baseball team slugged its way to a two-game sweep of Chatham to close Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play Saturday afternoon. The Bison earned a tight 6-4 win in game one, before powering its way to a 15-1 win in game two.

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1 Final: Bethany 6, Chatham 4 (Box Score)
• Game 2 Final: Bethany 15, Chatham 1 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 11-22, 8-10 PAC | Chatham 7-23, 1-17 PAC
• Location: Bethany Park | Bethany, West Virginia

GAME 1: Bethany 6, Chatham 4

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bison scored runs in four of the first five innings to establish a 6-0 lead.
• A dropped fly ball in right field helped Bethany scratch across two runs in the first inning to take the lead.
• A second error in the second inning allow freshman Kyle Goodwin (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) to step to the plate and deliver a RBI-double to extend the lead to 3-0.
• Goodwin came up with another big hit in the fourth inning when he drove a ball over the center fielder's head for a two-out RBI-triple to make the score 4-0.
• The third error of the game by Chatham (dropped foul ball) helped Bethany pus the lead to 6-0. Junior Neil Woods (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) brought home one run with a RBI-triple, while classmate John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) came through with a RBI-single to score Woods.
• Chatham got on the board with a pair of runs on three hits and one error to draw within four, 6-2.
• The Cougars managed to bring two more runs in the seventh and loaded the bases with two outs, but freshman relief pitcher Jake Horning (Stow, Ohio/Saint Vincent-Saint Mary) forced an infield ground ball to end the threat and keep the Bison lead at 6-4.
• Woods came on for the save in the ninth inning, and, despite runners at the corners and one out, got back-to-back outs to close out the game and earn his fourth save of the season.

GAME NOTES

• Junior pitcher Nick Gross (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) improved to 4-5 this season after yielding just four runs (three earned) on 10 hits with one strikeout over 6.2 innings of work.
• Goodwin led the offense with two doubles, a triple and two RBI, while batting in the leadoff spot.
• Lee went 4-for-4 at the dish with one run scored and one RBI.
• Woods, in addition to earning the save, finished with two hits, including a triple, with two RBI and one run scored.

GAME 2: Bethany 15, Chatham 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bethany's offense notched runs in five of its eight innings at the plate in its 15-1 game two win to claim the sweep.
• After a scoreless first inning, the Bison took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-RBI single by senior Kelaen Welch (Follansbee, W.Va./Brooke).
• The Green & White broke out with six runs in the third inning and batted through the order to establish an 8-0 lead. The big hit came off of the bat of senior Saige Micomonaco (Middletown, Ohio/Madison). Micomonaco cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple on the first pitch of his at-bat and later scored on a RBI-groundout by junior Brandon Wagner (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills).
• Chatham finally got onto the scoreboard and into the hit collum in the fifth. Sophomore pitcher Isaac Wengert (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) held the Cougars without a hit through 4.2 innings, before allowing a double that scored one run to make the score 8-1.
• Bethany rebuilt its lead to 10-1 in the sixth inning on RBI base hits by junior Tyler Frazee (Markleysburg, Pa./Uniontown) and Micomonaco.
• The Bison did not let up in their final two innings at the dish. Bethany tacked on two more in the seventh and eighth innings to give Wengert more than enough support to close out the win.

GAME NOTES

• Wengert (5-3) was efficient in his complete-game victory. He limited Chatham to one run (unearned) on seven hits with two strikeouts. He threw 79 strikes on 113 pitches.
• Micomonaco paced the offense with three hits, four RBI and two runs scored.
• Welch was the top hitter with four hits, including a double, three RBI, one run scored and three stolen bases.
• Frazee finished the game with three hits, two RBI and one run scored.
• Goodwin and Lee each had identical two-hit, one-RBI, one-run scored lines, while Woods added two hits, one RBI and two runs scored.

UP NEXT:

• Bethany will celebrate Senior Day tomorrow, Sunday, May 6 when they welcome Pitt.-Greensburg for a non-conference doubleheader (two sevens).
• The twinbill is set to begin at 1 p.m.