April 19 – BETHANY, W. Va. – Bethany College softball head coach Jan Forsty reached another career milestone on Sunday afternoon, capturing career wins 700 and 701 as the Bison softball team defeated Franciscan, 11-3 and 21-3 in doubleheader action.
The Bison wasted little time in securing Coach Forsty's 700th victory as they jumped all over Franciscan pitching in the first inning, striking for nine runs in the frame. During the home half of the first, five different Bison came through with a RBI, including Kayla Kelly (Pasadena, Md./Institute of Notre Dame), Deanna Mihalco (Patterson, N.Y./Brewster), Emili Garretson (Winfield, W. Va./Winfield), and Marissa Bosley (New Martinsville, W. Va./New Martinsville), and Ashlee Brill (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster).
In the inning, both Kayla Kelly and Brill posted two RBI. Brill's came on a double to left-center field, scoring both Jessica Kusnierz (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) and Kadie Kelly (Royal Oak, Md./St. Michaels). Kelly's two RBI came on two separate singles in the inning. The first scored Kusnierz, while the second scored Brill for the final run of the inning, giving the Bison a 9-0 cushion after one.
Sara Coss (Bowie, Md./Bishop McNamara) got in on the action in the second inning, posting a RBI single with a runner on third. Coss roped the first pitch she saw up the middle, scoring Cassie Weiss (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) on the play to expand the lead to 10-0.
A pair of Bison reserves ended the contest for the Green & White in the bottom of the fifth inning. Franciscan scored a trio of runs between the third and fifth innings, cutting the Bethany lead to 10-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
In the home half of the frame, sophomore Kylee Clark (Heath, Ohio/Lakewood) posted her first hit of the contest, tripling to right field. The next batter was freshman Aubrey Baehr (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley), who doubled to right-center on the first pitch she saw to give Bethany the eight-run victory, 11-3, due to the eight-run rule.
It was a complete team effort in game one as nine different Bison recorded at least one hit, with seven different players striking for a RBI. Clark, Brill and Kayla Kelly all posted two hits in the contest, with Brill and Kelly totaling two RBI, each.
In what was her 1,179th-career contest, Coach Forsty reached the 700-win milestone, becoming the 15thcoach in NCAA Division III to accomplish the feat. In her 28 seasons at the helm of the Bison Forsty has tallied a win percentage of nearly .600, sitting at 700-476-3 through the first contest of today's double header.
"It is truly an honor," commented Forsty of her milestone. "I think only a dozen or so coaches at the Division III level have been able to reach this milestone, and to do it at Bethany is something truly special.
"I am very humbled to be able to achieve this many wins, but I think that all of the credit has to go to all of the players that I have had the pleasure of coaching in my 30-plus years."
After posing for a few photos with the team in the outfield of the Bethany softball diamond, and getting to take a few minutes to reflect on the accomplishment, it was time for the Green & White to get back to work for game two. The Bison did not miss a beat in the game, once again providing ample offense in a 21-3, five-inning victory.
The Green & White scored multiple runs in every inning of the contest, posting three in the first, seven in the second, six in the third and five more in the fourth inning. In the game, the Bison posted 13 hits as 10 different players go in on the action. Eight spate Bison also tallied at least one RBI, led by a career-high four from by Clark and Baehr.
Other multi RBI performances for the team included three from Kayla Kelly, which included a solo home run in the second inning. The homer marked the fourth of the season for the junior, which leads the team.
Bosley finished the day with a pair of RBI, while freshman Gabby Goudy (Powhatan Point, Ohio/River) notched the first multi-RBI performance of her career with a two-RBI double in the third. Kusnierz, Coss and Jasmine Fuqua (Washington, Pa., Trinity) all also completed the day with a hit and a RBI.
With four doubleheaders still remaining on the schedule, including three against conference opponents, the Bison will get back to work on Monday, April 20, as they travel to Grove City, Pa. for a conference matchup with the Wolverines of Grove City College. The doubleheader is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start.
