Wildcats’ split double header with McKendree College;

Win series 2 out of 3

Matt Swinea, Sports Information Director

McKenzie, Tenn. – The Bethel Wildcat baseball team split their series ending double header with the visiting McKendree College BearCats.  Bethel lost the first game 2-4 and rebounded in the second game after trailed 6-1 to win 14-9.  With the win on Friday, the Wildcats take the series two games to one.

Jon Patterson (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) took the hill seeking his second win on the season in game one.  Patterson pitched six innings giving up eight hits and three earned runs while striking out 10.  McKendree took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Wildcats answered in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer by Jonathon Keck (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.).  The Wildcats were unable to hold off McKendree as they scored a run in the top of the sixth and one in the top half of the seventh to claim the 4-2 win.  McKendree’s Ryan Meyler limited the damage by allowing the Wildcats only two hits through five innings.  The Bearcat’s Tyler Schweierjohn pitched the final two innings not allowing a hit.

Game two saw both starting pitchers roughed up early.  Bethel’s Drew Hayes (Fr./McKenzie, Tenn.) yielded five walks, seven hits and six runs, five earned in three innings.  McKendree’s Adam Buehne didn’t make it out the third going 2.1 innings giving up four earned runs on eight hits and two walks.  The Bearcats next five pitchers gave up 10 runs on 12 hits in 4.2 innings.  Bethel’s Blake Willis (Jr./Newburn, Tenn.), Hunter Pingston (Sr./Rockledge, Fla.) and Brian Nellett (So./Huntingdon, Tenn.) pitched the next four innings with Willis getting the win and Nellett notching his first save of the year.  Both Hayes and Keck went deep for the Wildcats.  Keck leads the team with four homeruns on the season, followed by Hayes with two.  On the day, Hayes was 3 for 3 with two RBI.  Heath Sharp (So./Fayetteville, Tenn.) was 4 for 4 with four runs scored and a RBI.  Keck was 3 for 3 with a walk and four RBI.  Seth Stanfill (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) was 2 for 5 with two RBI and a run scored.  Matt Retherford (Sr./Collinwood, Tenn.) was perfect at the plate going 2 for 2 with two walks and drove in four runs. 

The Wildcats are now 4-2-1 on the season.  They will play Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Friday, February 23, 2007 at 2:00 for one game.  They will then continue the series on Saturday with a double header slated to start at 12:00pm.