Baseball: Walk-Off Win Helps Bison Split vs Thiel

BETHANY- The Bison hosted the first Presidents Athletic Conference doubleheader of their season on Good Friday. The Thiel Tomcats took the trip to Bethany Park. After the Bison were able to walk off game one, the day resulted in a split with game two being all Thiel. 

THE BASICS

Final Scores:

Game One: Bethany 5, Thiel 4

Game Two: Thiel 19, Bethany 6 

Records:

• Thiel (6-8, 3-1 PAC)

• Bethany (8-11, 1-1 PAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE) 

• The first score of the day happened in the top of the second inning. Trey Mantle got in an early jam giving up a pair of singles and hitting a batter to start the inning. It looked like disaster was about to strike with the bases loaded and nobody out. Mantle dodged bullets throwing low in the zone to get two consecutive ground balls. The first double-play ball was unable to be completed, but the second 6-4-3 attempt got the Bison out of the inning with minimal damage. 

• Thiel scored three runs in the fourth to make it a 4-0 game. Thiel was earning their way on base through walks and hits. However, the Bison were allowing the Tomcats to run the bases due to throwing the ball around. 

• The bats woke up for the Bison in the fifth inning. After starting less than ideal with a pair of strikeouts, Bethany put together some two-out magic. Back to back walks allowed Derek Black to poke one through the hole on the right side for an RBI single. Josh Speaker followed with his first of two triples on the day pushing in two RBI.  What looked to be the end of the inning turned into another run as the left fielder gifted the Bison by dropping a fly ball in the corner. That unearned run tied the game 4-4.

• The top of the seventh saw the Bison dugout continue to buzz. JT Hubert came in relief of Mantle. He inherited two baserunners with one out. Hubert got a batter to pop up in foul territory. Izek Baldwin flipped the mask and barreled into the corner of the fence to steal an out away from Thiel. Hubert then proceeded to fire fastballs to get the third out of the inning via strikeout. More importantly, Hubert worked out of the inning keeping the game tied. He threw two more scoreless innings to secure a win. 

• The energy shifted as Devin Toothman started the inning with a single back up the middle. The top of the order managed to run out two infield hits to load the bases with nobody out. Riley Brendel laced a ball back up the middle to score Toothman and give the Bison fans something to cheer about at the end of game one.

BISON LEADERS IN GAME ONE: 

• Speaker's two RBI made him the only multi-RBI hitter in game one. 

• Nick Roell got on base safely in four of five plate appearances. His stat line in game one saw a base hit, three walks, and two runs scored. 

• Hubert earned a win throwing two and two-third scoreless innings. He gave up a lone single, no walks, and three strikeouts. 

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO): 

• Game two was less favorable for the Bison. No pitcher that entered the game left unscathed in the 19-6 blowout loss. They gave up 21 hits, 11 walks, and hit two batters. 

• The offense was able to barrel some baseballs in this game though. Grant Schaffner and Payton Zupko both had a home run in the game. 

• Speaker's triple made this his third consecutive game with an extra base hit.

• Despite scoring more runs in game two, Bethany's offense couldn't keep up with the Tomcats.

BISON LEADERS IN GAME TWO:

• Schaffner's two run shot and a sac fly gave him a team leading three RBI.

• Zupko, Black, and Roell chimed in with an RBI.

• The Bison turned three double plays in this game.

What's Next

The Bison will travel across the Pennsylvania border to play a double-header against Saint Vincent on Wednesday, April 3rd. Those 18 scheduled innings are set to start at 1PM.