WASHINGTON, Pa. - The fourth-seeded Bethany College baseball team defeated third-seeded Allegheny (Pa.) College in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament First Round by a final score of 11-5 at Ross Memorial Park.
Bethany's first tournament appearance since 2019 began with a rematch against an Allegheny team that swept the Bison earlier in the season. However, the Bison are a much different team from three weeks ago. The Green and White quickly got on the board with a two-run first and would later combine for eight in the fifth and sixth frames to put the Gators away and to advance to the winners bracket where they will take on the second seed Washington & Jefferson.
Scoring Plays
- Top 1st - Junior Academic All-PAC third baseman Gian DeGenova (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) wasted no time putting the Bison on the board with an RBI double
- Top 1st - Sophomore designated hitter Marco Gonzalez (Oviedo, Fla.) singled up the middle as DeGenova came around to score on a Gator misplay
- Top 3rd - DeGenova lifted a fly ball to center as senior All-PAC second baseman Jaden Nestor-Fox (Vermilion, Ohio) got himself in a rundown allowing sophomore center fielder Niko Heidt (San Diego, Calif./Monte Vista) to score
- Top 5th - Heidt sparked a five-run frame with an RBI single
- Top 5th - DeGenova picked up two more RBI with a double through the gap
- Top 5th - Senior left fielder Devin Toothman (East Liverpool, Ohio) put the ball in play on a fielder's choice as DeGenova scored his second run of the day
- Top 5th - Senior All-PAC right fielder Sonny Peluchette (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Central Catholic) had an RBI groundout to extend the Bison lead
- Top 6th - Nestor-Fox got in on the action with an RBI single
- Top 6th - DeGenova left the yard with a two out, two-run shot to left
At the Plate
- DeGenova led the team with five RBI and went 3-for-5 with three runs scored
- Gonzalez stayed hot by going 4-for-5 with four base hits
- Nestor-Fox finished with a statline of three hits, two runs scored, one RBI, and one stolen base
- Toothman tied the single-season stolen bases record after swiping second in the fifth
- Junior shortstop Evan Hegarty (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary) recorded a multi-hit game with a double and a triple
- Senior catcher Payton Davis (Canton, Ohio/Malvern) contributed to the Bison offense with a single
On the Mound
- Senior right-hander Payton Zupko (Mineral Ridge, Ohio) struck out nine batters to break the single-season strikeouts record with the 65th of his career as he held Allegheny to two earned runs on six hits and picked up his first postseason win
- Freshman right-hander Dominic Fry (Caldwell, Ohio) threw two innings of relief where he gave up only one run on three hits
- Freshman left-hander Dominic Kempton (Dillonvale, Ohio/Buckeye Local) faced four batters and closed the ninth to send the Bison to the next round
The Bison are back in action Thursday, May 7 as they continue the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament by taking on second-seeded Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College at 6 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park.
