Posted: Apr 18, 2018
Bison rebound to split with Grove City
Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director
BETHANY, W.Va. (April 18) - The Bethany College softball team rebounded from a 2-0 loss in game one to claim a 9-1 run-rule win in game two of a doubleheader against Grove City in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play Wednesday evening.
THE MATCHUP
- Game 1: Grove City 2, Bethany 0 (Box Score)
- Game 2: Bethany 9, Grove City 1 - Final/5 Innings (Box Score)
- Records: Bethany 13-13, 6-6 PAC | Grove City 4-14, 2-8 PAC
- Location: Bison Field | Bethany, West Virginia
Game 1: Grove City 2, Bethany 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Offense was at a premium in game one, as neither team could manufacture much offense.
- Grove City broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a one-out home run to take the lead.
- Bethany, who was held hit-less through the first four innings, got its first hit of the game on a leadoff single by freshman Gabby Capaldi (Steubenville, Ohio/Catholic Central) in the fifth. The Bison could not advance her any further as a failed sacrifice and two infield outs ended the frame.
- The Wolverines added a second solo home run in the sixth inning, which would be all the run support they would need.
GAME NOTES
- Senior pitcher Sam Binkley (Kenilworth, Ontario/St. James) was dealt the tough-luck loss after only allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
- Grove City pitcher Ashley Cornelius pitched a complete-game one-hit shutout to lead the Wolverines.
Game 2: Bethany 9, Grove City 1 - Final/5 innings
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The offense responeded in game two with nine runs on 11 hits of support for Binkley in Bethany's 9-1 run-rule shortened win.
- Junior Emily Folk (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) doubled in the first inning and scored when sophomore Kayla Dinsmore (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) had a double of her own.
- Senior Ashley Narigon (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) added the third double of the inning to score Dinsmore, before a fielding error by the Wolverines allowed her to score to give the Bison a 3-0 lead after one inning.
- Grove City got one run back in the third inning with the help of a dropped third strike, a walk and its only hit of the game to make the score 3-1.
- Bethany put the game away with back-to-back three run innings in the fourth and fifth.
- Sophomore Erica Amoroso (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) drove in the first run of the fourth, before a two-RBI single by Dinsmore upped the Bison lead to 6-1.
- Binkley shut down the Wolverines in the top of the fifth inning to allow Bethany a chance to end the game early.
- The Bison had runners in scoring position with one out when sophomore Kaitlyn Mills (New Lexington, Ohio/Crooksville) singled in one run and stole second to put the potential winning-run in scoring position.
- Junior Fran Capaldi (Steubenville, Ohio/Catholic Central) looped a base-hit into center field and a slight misplay by the Wolverine center fielder allowed Mills to score from second to end the game in the fifth inning.
GAME NOTES
- Binkley improved to 7-8 this season after limiting Grove City to one run on one hit with seven strikeouts over five innings of work.
- Dinsmore led the Bison with two hits, three RBI and one run scored in the win.
- Amoroso, Narigon and Mills each had two hits, while Fran Capaldi added one hit and two RBI.
UP NEXT:
- Bethany was scheduled to host Muskingum tomorrow, Thursday, April 19, but those games have been postponed to allow the Muskies to make up conference games.
- The Bison will next host Westminster on Saturday, April 21 for a PAC doubleheader at 1 p.m.