March 6 – FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Despite a pair of solid performances from their starting pitching staff, the Bison baseball team dropped a pair of decisions to Delaware Valley University on Sunday afternoon. The Green & White fell 3-0 in the first game, before dropping a 5-2, extra-inning decision in game two.
In the first game, the Green & White had a hard time getting the offense rolling, managing just two hits in the game. Matt Shaffer (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) reached base twice, including a single, while John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) tallied the Bison's other hit.
On the mound, the Bison received their third-consecutive quality pitching performance, as senior Ryan Bisi (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) made his first start of the season. The senior allowed just six hits and two earned runs in six innings. Bisi struck out a pair, not allowing more than a single in the game.
In game two, freshman Nick Gross (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) made the first start of his collegiate career, not allowing an earned run through seven strong innings. However, despite the quality start, the Bison dropped a 5-2 decision in extra innings.
Lebanon Valley scored the first two runs of the second game, taking advantage of a Bison error to tally a pair of scores in the top of the first inning.
Bethany responded late in the game, notching a run in the bottom of the sixth and bottom of the seventh innings to send the game into extra frames. Shaffer singled home Zach Schlotter (Twinsburg, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) in the bottom of the sixth to pull the Green & White within a run. The RBI marked the fourth in as many games for the senior outfielder.
In the home half of the seventh, the Bison received back-to-back singles from Zack Miller (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) and Jacob Stemmerich (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) to put runners on first and second with one out. Two batters later, Schlotter drove home the game-tying run with a single to left-center field, knotting the game at 2-2.
The difference in the game came in the top of the eighth inning as the Aggies' Matt Dewald came through in the clutch with a three-run home run, giving Delaware Valley a 5-2 lead.
The Green & White created drama in the bottom of the eighth, putting the potential game-tying run at the plate with two outs. However, Bethany could not get the runs across, falling by the same 5-2 score.
Gross pitched well in his first start, allowing just five hits in seven innings of work. He needed just 90 pitches in his start, striking out five while not allowing a free pass.
Offensively, Schlotter, Shaffer and Lee all totaled two hits, with Schlotter and Shaffer driving in a run, each.
Having split their first four games of the season, the Bison will be back in action on Thursday, March 10 as they continue their spring break trip with a doubleheader against Monmouth College. The matchup is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
