WAYNESBURG, Pa. – The Bethany College softball team and Waynesburg essentially played three games during Monday’s twinbill, as the Bison pulled out a 7-6 victory in 14 innings and completed the sweep with a 6-3 triumph in game two.
The victories kept BC near the top of the PAC standings, as they now stand at 19-13 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The Yellow Jackets fell to 11-11 and 4-6 in the league.
Bethany did a lot of scoring early in game one, starting with two runs in the first inning on RBI singles by sophomore RF Maria Vallone (Rochester, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and senior CF Cortney Lax (Orrville, Ohio). Waynesburg put one on the board in the first inning, but BC answered back when two errors chased runs home in the second and sophomore 1B Angie Varhula (West Mifflin, Pa.) singled in another run for a 5-1 Bison margin in the third.
Waynesburg roared right back into the contest with two runs in the third and a pair in the fourth to tie the game and then the Yellow Jackets went in front with another score in the sixth. In the seventh, freshman SS Kristina Massie (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) had a single, but she was still on first base and BC was down to their final out. However, a walk and an error brought in the tying run and sent the game to extra innings.
The pitchers took control from the eighth inning on, as only two runners managed to get into scoring position until the 14th. Bethany took advantage of Waynesburg miscues to go in front. Senior 2B Chelsea Butler (Cortland, Ohio/Lakeview) reached on an error to start the inning and was sacrificed to second. After another Jacket error, their sixth of the game, put runners on the corners, Butler scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
The Yellow Jackets threatened to even the score in the bottom of the 14th with a one-out single and a BC error pushed the tying run to second. However, a fielder’s choice eliminated the lead runner and a ground out ended the game and gave Bethany the win. Sophomore Emily Jump (Milford, Del./Polytech) went the distance in the circle for the win, allowing six runs on 15 hits while posting eight strikeouts and three walks.
The Bison totaled 13 hits in the victory, led by Lax with three hits and two RBIs and Butler with three hits and three runs.
Runs came in bursts in the second game, beginning with three runs in the second inning by Bethany. Another Waynesburg error brought in the opening run, which was followed by RBI singles by Lax and Varhula. The Yellow Jackets responded with three runs in the second to knot the score at 3-3, which is where the count stood until the fourth.
Another critical Jackets error gave BC the winning runs in the fourth frame. A leadoff single by sophomore Liz Kletzli (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) was followed by freshman catcher Laura Biroschak (Canfield, Ohio/South Range) being hit by a pitch. Freshman Ashlee Needy (Chicago, Ill./Marist) beat out a bunt single, but an errant throw to first allowed all three runs to come in for a 6-3 Bison lead.
The win did not come easily, as Waynesburg had at least one runner reach in each of the final three innings. They would not be able to push across another score off Bethany senior Cortney Newland (Carmichaels, Pa.), who finished off the complete game with six Ks against only one walk. She surrendered just three runs, two earned, on six hits as well.
With the sticks, the Bison turned in nine hits overall. Lax had two more singles and drove in one and Massie was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Bethany is off Tuesday, but their next action will loom large in deciding the top spot in the PAC. On Wednesday, BC will host current conference leader Thomas More (21-9), who is off to a perfect 10-1 start in the league. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
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