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.