NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The third-seeded Bethany College softball team defeated sixth-seeded Saint Vincent (Pa.) College in the First Round of the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament by a final score of 4-2 and then fell to second-seeded Geneva (Pa.) College by a final score of 3-2 at the Westminster Softball Field.
Despite falling to an early deficit in the opening round, Bethany came back to beat No. 6 Saint Vincent in Game 1 of the 2026 PAC Tournament with one swing of the bat to earn the program's first postseason victory since 2021. The Bison then advanced to the second round where they had to face No. 2 Geneva after splitting the season series just a week ago. This time Bethany took an early lead and added a late run to close the gap but ultimately fell with the winning run at the plate to set up a meeting with No. 5 Waynesburg in Day 2's elimination rounds.
vs. No. 6 Saint Vincent
Scoring Plays
- Bottom 2nd - Sophomore right-hander Trinity Edge (Franklin, Pa.) only needed one swing to to clear the base paths and to put the Bison on top with a two-out grand slam
At the Plate
- Sophomore All-PAC catcher Olivia Kidd (Akron, Ohio/Mogadore) dug out two doubles to finish 2-for-3 against the Bearcats with a walk
- Senior All-PAC third baseman Emma Jackson (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) collected two base hits despite the Saint Vincent staff pitching around her
- Senior Academic All-PAC right fielder Trista Morris (Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central) went 2-for-3 as well with two singles to stay hot at the plate
- Sophomore left fielder Amber Dedmon (Canton, Ohio/Canton South) and freshman first baseman Jenna Nolan (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) each added a hit for the Bison
- Edge had another base hit and totaled four RBI in Game 1
In the Circle
- Edge got herself the win thanks to her bat but also struck out seven through seven innings with two runs allowed on four hits and three walks
vs. No. 2 Geneva
Scoring Plays
- Top 1st - Jackson struck first with an early RBI single
- Top 6th - Jackson's second hit of the day pulled the Green and White within one
At the Plate
- Senior All-PAC designated player Katelyn Ziems (Bowling Green, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with a double to help lead the Bethany offense
- Senior All-PAC shortstop Brooke Markland (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) and sophomore Academic All-PAC second baseman Caitlin O'Farrell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) each notched their first hits of the postseason
- Dedmon, Kidd, and Nolan each had one of the Bison's nine hits off Geneva
In the Circle
- Edge got the nod in the second game where she surrendered three runs through six innings but struck out four GTs
The Bison are back in action Friday, May 1 as they continue the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament by taking on fifth-seeded Waynesburg (Pa.) University in an elimination game at 12 p.m. at the Westminster Softball Field.
