Bethany takes two at Chatham

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

PITTSBURGH (April 14) - The Bethany College softball team claimed a two-game sweep over Chatham Saturday afternoon. The Bison won the opener of its doubleheader 2-0 and out-lasted the Cougars 3-1 in 10 innings in game two of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup.

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1: Bethany 2, Chatham 0 (Box Score)
• Game 2: Bethany 3, Chatham 1 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 11-12, 4-5 PAC | Chatham 3-18, 1-8 PAC
• Location: West Field | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Game 1: Bethany 2, Chatham 0

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Led by a complete-game shutout by senior Sam Binkley (Kenilworth, Ontario/St. James), the Bison earned a 2-0 win to start the day.
• Bethany gave Binkley all the run support she would need before she even took the field. The Bison took advantage of an error to start the game and plated two runs with the help of RBI base hits by both sophomore Tyra Bell (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and senior Ashley Narigon (Washington, Pa./McGuffey).
• Binkley would never allow a runner to advance into scoring position and retired the final 10 Chatham batters in order to close out the shutout win for the Bison.

GAME NOTES

• Binkley earned her fifth win this season after tossing a complete-game shutout. She limited the Cougars to three hits and struck out five batters (zero walks).
• Bell and Narigon each had RBI hits, while sophomore Erica Amoroso (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) added a triple to her final line.

Game 2: Bethany 3 Chatham 1 - Final/10 innings

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Offense remained at a premium in game two, as Binkley continued to keep the Chatham offense off balance and held it to two hits over the first five innings.
• The Bison had chances to score early in the game, but were unable push anyone across. Bethany had runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
• Chatham scratched across the game's first run in the bottom of the sixth inning with the help of a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
• The Bison were down to their final two outs when junior Emily Folk (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) delivered a game-tying RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
• Bethany looked poised to take the lead with the bases loaded and one out following a full-count walk drawn by sophomore Kayla Dinsmore (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek).
• Bell lifted a fly ball to center field, but the throw to the plate was on target for an inning-ending double play that kept the game tied at 1-1.
• Binkley worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.
• After scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth, Bethany put runners in scoring position with one out.
• Narigon came to the plate and drove both runners in with a double to give the Bison the lead.
• The Cougars drew a one out walk, but Binkley did not allow anyone else to reach base to secure the two-game sweep.

GAME NOTES

• Binkley improved to 6-7 this season after holding Chatham to one run on six hits with five strikeouts, while pitching all 10 innings.
• Folk, Bell, Narigon and senior Jazz Fuqua (Washington, Pa./Trinity) all finished with two hits in the extra-inning affair.
• The Bison, as a team, stole four bases in the win.

UP NEXT:

• Bethany will have a few days off until its next doubleheader on Wednesday, April 18 when it hosts Grove City for a PAC twinbill.
• Game one of the series will begin at 3:30 p.m.