April 17 – BETHANY, W. Va. – The Bethany College baseball team rolled to a 13-3 win against Pitt-Greensburg on Sunday afternoon. The Bison totaled 13 hits on the day, exploding for their highest run total this season.
Senior Ryan Bisi (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) started on the hill for Bethany, turning in a quality start and earning his first win on the year. Bisi held the Bobcats scoreless in seven innings of work, allowing just six hits and one walk.
The Bison (7-18) erupted in their opening at bats to give their pitching staff plenty of insurance early, scoring five runs on four hits to take a quick 5-0 lead over the Bobcats (15-12).
The top three batters in the Bethany lineup singled to start the big inning. John Lee (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) and Andrew Gillland (Gahanna, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) singled to right field, before Kevin Marthinsen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) singled through the left side to drive in Lee and put the Green & White on the scoreboard.
Zach Schlotter (Twinsburg, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) then came to bat, hitting a hard grounder to shortstop that was booted on the throw by the second basemen. Gilliland came around to score on the error, making it 2-0 in favor of the Bison.
Bethany scored two more runs after Zack Miller (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) singled through the left side of the infield. Two more errors on the play from Pitt-Greensburg allowed Marthinsen and Schlotter to score, and moved Miller to third. Jacob Stemmerich (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) drove in the final run of the inning, grounding out to first and scoring Miller.
The Bison added three more in the fourth frame, highlighted by a three-run blast from Lee. Stemmerich and Ryan Nickerson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach) collected base hits to put two runners on for Lee. The freshman outfielder then drove one deep to right field for his first-career home run, scoring three runs to extend the lead to 8-0.
Bethany increased their lead to double digits over the next two innings. Marthinsen homered to left-center field in the bottom of the sixth, marking his second home run on the season, and giving Bethany a commanding 10-0 advantage.
Justin Corsi (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville) and Nickerson recorded back-to-back doubles in the seventh, scoring one more run. Neil Woods (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) then collected a two-run single in the eighth, driving in Josh Lonero (Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and Matt Cavanaugh (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley) to make it 13-0.
Sean Spotts (Harpers Ferry, W. Va./Jefferson) and Joe Hoffman (Allison Park, Pa./Deer Lakes) made late appearances in relief, closing out the final two innings for the 13-3 victory.
Offensively, Marthinsen recorded a career-high four hits in the contest, scoring twice and also collecting two RBIs. Lee finished with two hits and three RBIs, and Nickerson amassed two hits as well.
The Bison will return to the diamond on Tuesday, April 19 when they host Grove City in Presidents' Athletic Conference action at 2:00 p.m.
