WAYNESBURG, Pa. – The Bethany College baseball team’s offense was as cold as the weather outside in suffering a 4-1 loss at Waynesburg Friday in the PAC opener for both schools.
The defeat lowered BC’s record to 5-3 and 0-1 I the conference, while the Yellow Jackets broke a 10-game losing streak to improve to 3-10 and 1-0.
Waynesburg went in front in the first inning when Noah Pust struck a two-out RBI single for a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, Bethany had a chance to snuff out a Yellow Jacket threat, but an error on a double play ball let the second run score for a 2-0 margin.
In the fifth inning, the Yellow Jackets again doubled their advantage. Shortstop Anthony DiFilippo, who had three hits in the game, blasted a two-run homer to swell the home team’s lead to 4-0.
Meanwhile, Bethany could not take advantage of their opportunities in the early innings. Senior CF Tyler Dillinger (McKeesport, Pa.) tripled with two outs in the third, but was stranded. The fourth inning saw senior LF Mike Pegg (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) and sophomore DH Chuck Ziants (Moundsville, W.Va./John Marshall) single with one out. A fielder’s choice forced out Ziants at second and on the same play, Pegg tried to score, but was thrown out as well to end the inning.
The Bison mounted threats in the final two frames against Yellow Jacket starter Jesse Gonzalez. In the eighth inning, sophomore Alex Evans (Washington, Pa.) hit a pinch-hit single and would eventually score on a single by sophomore 3B Brad Kubis (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell). The Kubis hit put two runners on with two outs, but a fly out to right got the Yellow Jackets out of the jam.
In the ninth, walks to junior catcher T.J. Zarewicz (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and Evans brought the tying run to the plate, but Gonzalez struck out the final batter to finish the complete game. Bethany was limited to five hits, with Kubis and Evans both reaching twice with a single and a walk.
Taking the loss on the hill for BC was senior Mike Muklewicz (Bridgeport, Ohio). He went six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out two and walking one. Freshman Jacob Fischer (Huntington, W.Va.) came on next and threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, while senior Adam Nyswaner (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) recorded the final out with a strikeout.
Bethany and Waynesburg will complete their conference series with a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Bethany Park, beginning at 1 p.m.
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