Bison split with Heidelberg at Forsty's final home games

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va. (April 26) - The Bethany College softball team claimed a 9-6 win over Heidelberg in the final home game of Head Coach Jan Forsty's career Thursday evening. The Student Princes earned an 8-2 win in game one of the doubleheader.

THE MATCHUP

• Game 1: Heidelberg 8, Bethany 2 (Box Score)
• Game 2: Bethany 9, Heidelberg 6 (Box Score)
• Records: Bethany 15-15 | Heidelberg 23-13
• Location: Bison Field | Bethany, West Virginia

Game 1: Heidelberg 8, Bethany 2

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a pair of scoreless frames, Heidelberg took advantage of an error to tag senior pitcher Sam Binkley (Kenilworth, Ontario/St. James) for six runs (all unearned).
• Bethany got on the board with a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third and added a second run in the fourth when junior Fran Capaldi (Steubenville, Ohio/Catholic Central) battled to get a RBI-single on a nine-pitch at-bat to make the score 6-2.
• The Bison were retired in order in the final three innings and the Student Princes added a two-run home run in the seventh to claim the win.

GAME NOTES

• Binkley allowed eight runs (two earned) on 11 hits with one strikeout in the loss.
• Capaldi notched the lone RBI, while sophomore Erica Amoroso (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) had the team's only extra-base hit; a double. 

Game 2: Bethany 9, Heidelberg 6

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Heidelberg scored a run in the top of the first inning, but the Bison rallied back with four runs in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 lead.
• Amoroso led the frame off with a double and scored on a drag-bunt by sophomore Kayla Dinsmore (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) that snuck past the entire right-side of the Heidelberg defense.
• Two more runs came across on wild pitches, before Capaldi found a hole on the left side of the infield with a runner on third to give Bethany a 4-1 lead.
• Heidelberg got one run back in the third inning to make the score 4-2.
• The Bison got back-to-back singles to start the fourth inning, when Dinsmore managed to lift a ball deep enough into the outfield to allow a runner to tag-up and score.
• Sophomore Tyra Bell (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), the next batter, drove an opposite-field home run that went off of the scoreboard and gave Bethany a 7-2 advantage.
• The Student Princes managed to score twice in the fifth inning to make the score 7-4.
• Bethany got a pair of two-out hits in the sixth inning, before an infield error allowed both runners to score and give Binkley some insurance and a 9-4 lead entering the seventh inning.
• Heidelberg did not go away quietly. The Student Princes scored twice and brought the potential game-tying run to the plate with two outs, but a ground ball back to Binkley ended the game and allowed Head Coach Jan Forsty to walk off of Bison Field for the final time with a victory.

GAME NOTES

• Binkley improved to 9-10 this season after yielding six runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts in the win.
• Capaldi led the team with three hits and an RBI, while Amoroso finished with three hits and two runs scored.
• Dinsmore and Bell each had two hits and two RBI, with Bell hitting her fifth home run this season.
• Senior Jazz Fuqua (Washington, Pa./Trinity) also finished with two hits in her final game at Bison Field.

UP NEXT:

• The Bison, who are right in the middle of the PAC Tournament race, have a very important doubleheader at Saint Vincent tomorrow, April 27 at 3:30 p.m.
• The Bearcats (18-6, 9-3 PAC) currently sit in third place in the league standings, just ahead of the Bison, who are in fourth place at (15-15, 7-7 PAC).
• The top-four teams in the conference qualify for the PAC Tournament.