Bethany takes two from Grove City

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

GROVE CITY, Pa. (April 8) – The Bison collected a pair of wins and a sweep over Grove City Saturday with wins by scores of 6-0 and 8-3 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action.

The victories improve the Bethany College softball team to 12-12 overall, 6-0 in the PAC. Meanwhile, the Wolverines fall to 1-5 in league play, 10-10 this season.

GAME 1: Bethany 6, Grove City 0

Behind a 10-strikeout complete-game shutout by junior Cassie Weiss (Avella, Pa./McGuffey) and a three-hit, two-RBI game from her sister Sammie Weiss (Avella, Pa./McGuffey), the Bison earned a 6-0 win in game one of the series.

Bethany got on the scoreboard in the first inning when freshman Kayla Dinsmore (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) tripled to drive home Sammie Weiss and make the score 1-0.

The Bison added to their lead in the second inning on a RBI-double from junior Jazz Fuqua (Washington, Pa./Trinity) and a RBI-single from Sammie Weiss in the second inning that pushed the Bethany lead to 3-0 early in the game.

The Green & White tacked on a trio of insurance runs in the fourth inning with the help of a leadoff error, giving starting pitcher Cassie Weiss more than enough run-support to wrap up the win.

Cassie Weiss limited the Wolverines to three hits, while striking out 10 with three walks in a complete-game shutout effort.

Sammie Weiss led the Bison at the plate with three hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Dinsmore, Fuqua and junior Aubrey Baehr (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley) all collected RBI hits for a lineup that totaled 10 hits in the win.

GAME 2: Bethany 8, Grove City 3

The Bison rallied from a one-run deficit in the sixth inning with six-straight runs to close out an 8-3 win in game two Saturday afternoon.

Sophomores Francesca Capaldi (Steubenville, Ohio/Catholic Central) and Emily Folk (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) drove in runs with RBI singles in the second inning to put the Bison out in-front 2-0.

Grove City responded with a run in the third and two more in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, that stood until the sixth inning. The Bison put runners on second and third with no outs, when junior Ashley Narigon (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) drove in both with a double to give Bethany a 4-3 lead. Capaldi followed with another RBI-single to plate Narigon and extend the lead to 5-3 heading into the seventh inning.

The Green & White added three more runs with the help of two errors and a wild pitch to pad their lead in the seventh inning. Dinsmore drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, Baehr scored on a wild pitch and Folk added her second RBI of the game with a single to left field that extended the Bethany lead to five runs.

Junior pitcher Sam Binkley (Kenilworth, Ontario/St. James) went the distance to earn the win. She held the Wolverines to three runs on eight hits and matched a season-best with seven strikeouts to improve to 3-6 this season.

Capaldi and Folk each finished with two hits and two RBI, while Narigon drove in two runs to lead the Bison at the plate. Dinsmore added an RBI and scored two runs as well for the Bethany offensive attack.

The Bethany softball team will remain on the road when they head to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania to take on Westminster for a PAC doubleheader on Tuesday, April 11 at 3:30 p.m.