Baseball: Late-inning heroics lead Bison past Aggies

Drew VonScio, Student Assistant for Athletic Communications 

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Bethany looked to keep the momentum going from Monday tonight under the lights against Delaware Valley. While the Green and White trailed by a handful early, they never gave up and used the bottom of the ninth to walk it off on a wild pitch with the bases loaded and win 7-6.

Delaware Valley got off to an early lead by posting three runs in the top of the first inning courtesy of a pair of doubles, but starting pitcher Alec Berg was able to limit the damage and show resiliency on the mound for the Bison. He went on to post shutout innings in the second and the third.

In the top of the fourth, the Aggies once again doubled in a pair of runs to take an early 5-0 lead against Bethany. Berg took the resiliency one step further by cutting off the Delaware Valley offense after just the two runs across.

The Bison got things going offensively in the bottom of the fifth inning when Luke Beatty was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving him an RBI. Derek Black and Grant Schaffner drew back-to-back walks to keep the Bison moving from one station to the next before the Aggies retired the side as the Green and White cut the deficit down to two.

Bethany rallied around the momentum in the fifth when they produced another trio of runs in the sixth. After loading the bases once again, Tyler Mckee came home on a wild pitch before a JT Hubert single drove in CJ Owens to knot the game up 5-5. Devin Toothman later reached on a fielder's choice and grabbed the RBI when Luke Beatty scored to give the Bison their first lead of the night.

Delaware Valley would strike back in the top of the eighth with a single into center which saw the contest level once again, this time in the fashion of 6-6.

Coming to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, Bethany had one last chance to win it in regulation. Toothman reached on an infield single before the next two Bison were retired. As the Aggies hoped for extras, Coach Thomas' army wasn't quitting yet. A costly error allowed Toothman to move up to second base just before Mckee was hit by a pitch. Nick Roell then walked to load the bases which sent the Bison's hottest hitter to the plate in Colton Stoneman. While Stoneman was trying to walk things off for the second time this season, another wild pitch ensued and ricocheted away from the Aggies' catcher just enough for Toothman to come in and tack on the extra point to win 7-6.

Berg went six innings on the mound for the Green and White with five runs on eight hits against him. He struck out six and did not concede any free passes. Hubert came on in relief of Berg for the final three innings conceding just one run on three hits as he struck out five and walked a pair; he picked up his third win of the season.

Riding a three-game win streak, Bethany is right back at it Wednesday against Penn State-Berks. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.