BETHANY, W.Va. – Westminster made five early runs stand, as the Titans held on for a 5-2 victory over the Bethany College baseball team Sunday afternoon in the Bison’s season finale at Bethany Park.
In the first inning, Westminster (23-12, 10-9) pieced together four hits and used a BC error to score three times. Then in the third inning, Titan SS Ethan Yeager chopped a two-run single down the left-field line to give the visitors a 5-0 advantage through two and a half innings.
The Bison (12-23, 5-16) plated their first run in the last of the third. Sophomore DH Alex Evans (Washington, Pa.) singled with one out, took second on a wild pitch and the Bison caught a break when Evans looked to be in a rundown on a ball hit by freshman 3B Jordan Ault (Jeannette, Pa.). However, an errant Titan throw allowed Evans to reach third and then he came home on a ground out by senior CF Tyler Dillinger (McKeesport, Pa.).
Bethany managed at least one base runner in each of the next three innings, but could not string together hits to mount a rally. The Green and White managed to plate one more run in the seventh when senior LF Mike Pegg (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) beat out an infield single, took second on a wild pitch and was singled home by Evans to make it a 5-2 spread.
The final two innings saw bad luck hamper BC’s comeback hopes. With runners on first and second and two outs in the eighth, a ball hit by senior Eric Fudala (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) looked like it might get through to left field, but it ended up hitting junior catcher T.J. Zarewicz (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) trying to get to third base, which ended the inning.
In the final frame, sophomore pinch hitter Matt Paonessa (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) hit a two-out single. Dillinger followed by mashing a ball off the wall in right-center field, that appeared to score freshman pinch-runner Juls Leto (McKees Rocks, Pa./OLSH) and brought the tying run to the plate.. However, Westminster won an appeal that Leto missed third base on his way home and he was ruled out, ending the game and giving the victory to the Titans, which clinched their spot in the PAC Tournament.
Bethany totaled 11 hits in the game, with two each from Evans and sophomore SS Brad Kubis (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell). Freshman Zac Edmiston (California, Pa.) started and took the loss after throwing the first three innings. The Bison bullpen did a masterful job the rest of the way, as senior Mike Kochman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic) threw a scoreless fourth inning and sophomore Ryan Styche (Beuna Vista, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) blanked the Titans on three hits through five innings while striking out four and walking only one.
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