April 23 – GROVE CITY, Pa. – The Bethany College softball team captured a victory over Grove City College, 7-4, to earn their tenth conference win of the season. Game two between the Bison and Wolverines was postponed in extra innings tied at 4-4 due to darkness.
In game one, freshman pitcher Cassie Weiss (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) picked up her third victory in as many games, allowing just one earned run in a complete game performance as the Bison took the game, 7-4.
Senior Jessica Kusnierz (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) wasted little time getting the Green & White going as she doubled on the first at bat of the game. After a sacrifice bunt by Ashlee Brill (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) moved Kusnierz to third, a sacrifice fly by Kayla Kelly (Pasadena, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) scored Kusnierz to give Bethany a 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines would respond in the second inning, tallying a run on a RBI single to knot the game at 1-1. The score marked the only earned run of the contest that Weiss would allow.
Bethany would re-take the advantage in the visitors' half of the fourth inning. Marissa Bosley (New Martinsville, W. Va./New Martinsville) led off the inning with a double, and was moved to third on an error by the Grove City pitcher. After back-to-back pop outs had two outs in the inning, Kusnierz singled home Bosley to give Bethany the 2-1 advantage. On the next play, both T.J. Solomon (Beltsville, Md./Elizabeth Seaton) and Kusnierz would score on an error, pushing the lead to 4-1.
In the next half inning, Grove City would once again tie the game, receiving three unearned runs in the frame. The Bison committed two errors in the inning which lead to the three runs, knotting the contest at 4-4.
The Bison would make another push in the top of the sixth. With two outs in the frame, Jasmine Fuqua (Washington, Pa./Trinity) got things going with another extra-base hit with a double. The next batter was Kusnierz, who drove Fuqua home with a double of her own to give Bethany a 5-4 lead.
After Weiss held the Wolverines in check in the sixth inning, the Bison added two more insurance runs in the seventh. Kayla Kelly started the inning with a triple and immediately scored when Deanna Mihalco (Patterson, N.Y./Brewster) reached on an error. After a single to Sarah Coss (Bowie, Md./Bishop McNamara) and a walk to Bosley loaded the bases, Fuqua drew a walk to score pinch runner Aubrey Baehr (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley) and push the lead to 7-4.
Weiss would then finish off the complete game, retiring the Wolverines in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Bison their fourth-straight conference victory.
Offensively for the Bison, Kusnierz led the way, going 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Kelly also totaled a pair of hits, a triple and a RBI, while Fuqua drove in a run. As a team, the Bison saw five of their ten hits go for extra bases in the victory.
In the circle, Weiss allowed just six hits, once of which was for extra bases, over seven innings of work. She also struck out five Wolverines on the day.
In game two, the Bison and Wolverines were unable to find a victor as the game was suspended after eight innings due to darkness. With the game halted, the teams found themselves ending the day with a 4-4 tie.
Bethany once again made the first move in the contest as the Bison tallied three runs in the third inning. Kiersten Conwell (Washington, Pa./Chartiers Houston) helped her own cause at the plate, notching a double with one out in the inning. Fuqua then brought her home, taking her place with a double of her own to give Bethany a 1-0 lead. The next batter was Kusnierz who reached on an error, scoring Fuqua to extend the advantage.
After a single by Kayla Kelly moved Kusnierz to second, Mihalco posted a RBI single, plating Kusnierz to give the Green & White a 3-0 lead.
The Bison's lead would be short lived as Grove City would tally four runs on five hits in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-3 advantage.
Both teams' pitchers went into lockdown mode in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings as the two teams combined for just three hits over the next three innings.
Bethany would break through in the top of the seventh inning to knot the game and send the contest into extras. With two outs in the inning, Coss singled to put a runner on first. Baehr came into pinch run for Coss and was immediately brought home from first on a double by Bosley to tie the game at 4-4.
After Conwell held Grove City scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, neither team could plate a run in the eighth inning before the contest was called because of darkness. The contest was postponed with the score knotted at four. As of now, a date to continue the contest has not been announced.
Offensively in game two, Bosley led the Bison with a pair of hits and a RBI. Mihalco and Fuqua each also totaled a RBI in the game while seven different players tallied at least one hit.
In the circle, Conwell pitched all eight innings, allowing nine hits while striking out five batters.
The Bison will be back in action on Saturday, April 25 when they play host to Washington & Jefferson for the team's final conference doubleheader of the season. The senior day doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
