Baseball: Stoneman’s eight-hit night leads Bison to split with Barons

Drew VonScio, Student Assistant for Athletic Communications 

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – Bethany embarked on their shortest road trip of the season Wednesday evening as they traveled to Franciscan University. Senior Colton Stoneman picked up four hits in each game as Bethany took game one 15-11 while Franciscan took game two by a score of 11-6.

The Bison posted the first four runs of the game in the early part of the game as Alec Berg singled in Devin Toothman in the second before Derek Black singled to center that scored Riley Brendel. In the third, Toothman's double scored Josh Speaker and Nick Roell.

Franciscan cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth before Black got the Green and White going again in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to score Brendel. Speaker then singled to left and drove in Stoneman. In the bottom of the sixth, the hosts would put up a five-run rally to gain their first lead of the night.

The opening game continued to go back and forth as the Bison reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh. Berg delivered a two-run blast before Brendel scored on a wild pitch; Black added another sac fly. Franciscan drove in two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Berg homered again in the top of the eighth before a Black single scored Brendel. Speaker's RBI double plated Roell just before Brendel delivered a sac fly. Franciscan could only add two in the ninth as the Bison held on for a 15-11 win.

In game two, Franciscan got the scoring started in the bottom of the second before Roell's sac fly tied the contest in the top of the third. Speaker then gave the Bison the lead with a single to left. The Barons would go on to score the next ten runs starting in the bottom of the third and concluding in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, the Green and White would chip away at the run differential as Stoneman drove in Brendel with a single to right. Roell singled to center and plated Black before Speaker's two RBI scored Roell and Stoneman. A leadoff walk is all Bethany could muster in the top of the ninth as they accepted a split on the road. Zach Nolf got his first start of the season in the second half of the doubleheader.

The Bison return to the diamond on Saturday, Apr. 29, when they host Geneva in a PAC doubleheader at Bethany Park for Senior Day. First pitch against the Golden Tornadoes is set for 10 a.m.