March 10 – CLERMONT, Fla. – Highlighted by an extra-inning two-run home run by junior Kayla Kelly (Pasadena, Md./Institute of Notre Dame), the Bison softball team posted a double-header split on Tuesday afternoon. The Green & White defeated St. Mary's College (Ind.), 9-8, in eight innings before falling 13-3 to Heidelberg University.
The Bison opened the day capturing a 9-8 extra-inning win over St. Mary's College thanks to Kelly's first home run of the season. In the win, the Green & White totaled a season-high 15 hits which included four different players with multiple hits.
Bethany scored the first two runs of the game, striking for two in the top of the first inning. After two quick outs, Deanna Mihalco (Patterson, N.Y./Brewster) reached first on a free pass and was moved to third when Emili Garretson (Winfield, W.Va./Winfield) doubled to left field. One batter later, Sarah Coss (Bowie, Md./Bishop McNamara) singled to left to bring home Mihalco, and an ensuing error by the Belles' short stop allowed Garretson to score to give the Bison a 2-0 lead.
The Belles' would respond in the bottom of the first inning, posting three runs in the frame. After a walk and a single placed runners on first and second, Jillian Busfield gave St. Mary's a 3-2 lead with a three-run homer to center field.
The Green & White would respond in the top of the third inning when Kelly and Garretson both reached base on singles to the outfield. Coss then moved the runners over with a walk, and Kelly was brought home on a RBI single by TJ Solomon (Beltsville, Md./Elizabeth Seton), tying the contest at 3-3.
Bethany would re-take control in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring two runs in each frame. In the sixth, Solomon led off the frame with a single to center. After a sacrifice by Marissa Bosley (New Martinsville, W.Va./Magnolia) moved her to second, Kadie Kelly (Royal Oak, Md./St. Michaels) brought her home with a double to center. Kelly was then moved to third on a ground out. Two batters later, the Bison properly executed the suicide squeeze as Kayla Kelly laid down a bunt which brought home Kadie Kelly to extend the advantage to 5-3.
In the seventh, the Green & White were beneficiaries of four-straight hits to open the frame. Garretson notched her third hit of the game, which was followed by a single from Coss. Solomon followed suit with a bunt single, moving courtesy runners Aubrey Baehr (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Jasmine Fuqua (Washington, Pa./Trinity) up 60 feet. Bosley then uncorked a single up the middle, plating both Baehr and Fuqua to give Bethany a 7-3 lead.
Unfortunately, the lead would not hold as the Bison allowed four runs in the home half of the seventh, sending the game into extras tied at seven. It was in the top of the eighth, however, that the Bison would supply the dagger.
Due to the extra innings rule being in place, Ashlee Brill (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) was placed on second base to start the inning. With one out gone in the Bison's eighth, Kayla Kelly came to the plate. After getting behind in the count, 1-2, Kelly took a pitch over the center-field wall for her first home run of the season, putting the Green & White in the lead, 9-7.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, freshman Cassie Weiss (Avella, Pa./McGuffey) struck out two batters in the frame. However, due to two different dropped third strikes, St. Mary's was able to plate a runner to pull the game to 9-8. Weiss kept her composure, getting the final batter of the game to fly out to left, securing the 9-8 victory.
On the mound, Weiss picked up her first career win, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing two hits while striking out two.
Offensively, three different Bison tallied three hits, including Kayla Kelly, who finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBI. Garretson notched three hits while Solomon tallied three hits and a RBI and Coss finished 2-for-3 while driving in a run.
In game two, the Bison dropped a 13-3 decision to Heidelberg University in a five-inning contest. The Bison tallied their three runs by scoring in the first, third and fifth innings, while Heidelberg struck for two in the third, three in the fourth and eight in the top of the fifth.
Offensively, Kusnierz and Bosley tallied two hits each while Kayla Kelly, Mihalco and Garretson notched one hit each. Garretson also plated two runs while Mihalco drove in one.
The Bison will have a day off on Wednesday before getting back to action on their spring break trip on Thursday, March 12. The Bison will take on Penn State Behrend at 1 p.m. before facing off with WPI at 3 p.m.
