Softball swept by Thomas More

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va. (April 7) - The Bethany College softball team was swept by Thomas More, losing 5-2 to start the day, before falling 7-2 in second game Saturday afternoon in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader.

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1: Thomas More 5, Bethany 2 (Box Score)
• Game 2: Thomas More 7, Bethany 2 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 8-8, 1-3 PAC | Thomas More 11-11, 3-0 PAC
• Location: Bison Field | Bethany, West Virginia

GAME 1: Thomas More 5, Bethany 2

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a scoreless first inning, the Saints got on the board with a solo home run in the second inning to take the lead.
• Thomas More shortstop Mary Beth Odom helped her squad build a 3-0 lead with a two-run home run, her second of the day, in the fourth inning.
• The Bison answered back in the bottom of the fourth when senior Ashley Narigon (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) connected on her first home run of the season to draw Bethany within two at 3-1.
• Thomas More would come back with two runs on a trio of singles in the fifth inning to establish a 5-1 lead.
• The Saints threatened again in the sixth inning when they had runners at second and third with one out, but senior pitcher Cassie Weiss (Taylorstown, Pa./McGuffey) forced an infield pop-up and got a strikeout to strand the runners.
• Bethany looked poised to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth when they had runners on the corners with two outs, before a strikeout ended the inning.
• The Bison entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 5-1 when they put runners at first and second with one out. Sophomore Tyra Bell (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) produced an RBI-double that drove in one run and brought the potential tying-run to the plate.
• Thomas More managed to retire the ensuing batter and close out the game one win.

GAME NOTES

• Weiss (5-4) was charged with the loss after yielding five runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
• Narigon finished the game with two hits, including a home run.

GAME 2: Thomas More 7, Bethany 2

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Thomas More only scored in two innings, but it was enough to deal the Bison a second loss on the afternoon.
• The first three Saints batters singled and another batter singled with two outs to help Thomas More establish a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
• Sophomore Erica Amoroso (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) led the bottom of the first off with a single and moved to second base when the right fielder misplayed the ball.
• Two batters later, sophomore Kayla Dinsmore (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) singled right through the middle to make the score 3-1.
• Senior pitcher Sam Binkley (Kenilworth, Ontario/St. James) held Thomas More without a hit over the next three innings to keep the game tight.
• Bethany manufactured its second run of the game when Bell singled and advanced twice on groundouts. Bell came across home plate when sophomore Lauren Maichle (Newark, Del./Delaware Military Academy) reached on a fielding error by the third baseman that made the score 3-2.
• Thomas More finally broke through against Binkley with four runs on five hits in the fifth inning to pull out to a 7-2 lead. Two of the run-scoring hits came with two outs.
• The Bison bats were held to one hit over the final two innings and were dealt the two-game sweep by the Saints.

GAME NOTES

• Binkley fell to 3-4 this season after allowing seven runs on 12 hits with two strikeouts over seven innings pitched. 

UP NEXT:

• Bethany will return to the diamond on Monday, April 9 when they travel to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania to play Geneva in a make-up doubleheader from last week at 3:30 p.m.
• Fans can follow live statistical updates of the games here.