Bethany Softball Earns Split Against Muskingum
March 29 – BETHANY, W. Va. – The Bethany College softball team split a doubleheader with Muskingum University on Tuesday afternoon. The Bison won the first game of the series in extra innings, putting together a ninth-inning rally to defeat the Muskies, 2-1, before falling in game two by a score of 14-7.
Sophomore starting pitcher Cassie Weiss (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) set the defensive precedence early in the game, mowing down three Muskies' hitters in the opening frame.
Weiss gave up just one run in nine innings of work, including seven-straight scoreless innings without allowing a runner to cross home.
Muskingum (8-14) crept out to a slight lead in the top of the second, using a solo shot to make it 1-0.
Bethany (6-10) responded in the bottom of the inning when Jasmine Fuqua (Washington, Pa./Trinity) was hit by a pitch and advanced to second base on a grounder from Sarah Coss (Bowie, Md./Bishop McNamara). Aubrey Baehr (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley) came through with a clutch single up the middle to score Fuqua and tie the game at 1-1.
That was when Weiss and the Bison defense took over, effectively shutting down the Muskies offense. Weiss fanned 10 batters while allowing seven hits and walking one.
The Bison offense threatened throughout the contest, stranding seven runners over the nine innings, but couldn't break the deadlock.
Bethany finally broke the 1-1 tie in the ninth inning as Fuqua once again started the rally, reaching base on a single before advancing into scoring position on a passed ball. Coss moved her teammate to third with a sacrifice bunt, bringing Baehr up to bat with one out.
Baehr hit a grounder deep into the hole, forcing the defender to throw to first and ultimately allowing the winning run to score.
The Bison totaled five hits in the opener led by Kayla Kelly (Pasadena, Md./Institute of Nortre Dame) with a pair.
In the second contest, Muskingum jumped out to an advantage and continued to build on it in the early goings. The Fighting Muskies scored runs in each of the first four innings, taking a 13-0 lead over the hosts.
The Bison regrouped in a big way, erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Bethany totaled six hits in the frame as senior Sam Newfrock (Endwell, N.Y./Endicott) singled through the left side. From there, a trio of first-year Bison came up with consecutive hits, including back-to-back home runs from Ashley Narigon (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) and Jazmine Keller (Glen Easton, W. Va./John Marshall) to narrow the deficit (13-3).
Freshman Fran Capaldi (Steubenville, Ohio/Central Catholic) restarted the Bison offense as she followed Keller's first career hit for the Green & White with a single of her own.
Seniors Ashlee Brill (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) and Deanna Mihalco (Patterson, N.Y./Brewster) took care of the rest, driving in a combined three runs to cap off the scoring. Brill drove in one run with a single up the middle, and Mihalco followed with a base knock of her own, collecting two RBIs.
The Muskies held Bethany in check in their final two at bats before the game was called due to darkness after six innings of play with the final score in favor of the visitors, 14-7.
Bethany had 10 different players record a hit in the contest. Narigon homered with two runners on base as she went on to lead the Bison with three RBIs.
The Bison softball team will return to action on Wednesday, March 30 when they take on Capital University at 3:00 p.m.
