Wildcats 5-1 during Spring Break in Florida

Pair of wins over pre-season #17 Jamestown College

Matt Swinea, Sports Information Director

McKenzie, Tenn. – The Bethel Wildcat baseball team went 5-1 during their Spring Break trip to Florida.  Two of the five wins came at the expense of pre-season #17 Jamestown College of South Dakota.  In the final game of the trip, Bethel defeated West Virginia Tech and pitcher Marty Wiesler, 6-1.  Wiesler was coming off a complete game no-hitter against NCAA D-I Marshall University.

On Monday, Bethel played a pair against Marian College of Indiana.  Landon Wood (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) pitched 6.2 innings allowing four hits and three earned runs to pick up the win, 5-3.  Jonathan Neely (Jr./Cullman, Ala.) came in and picked up the save.  Tyler Newman (Jr./Henderson, Tenn.) went 2 for 2 with a pair of walks.  Newman also had a pair of hits including a two RBI double in the top of the sixth.  Alex Whitmore (Sr./Nashville, Tenn.) was one for three with a walk, and two runs scored.  Scott Dean (Fr./Jackson, Tenn.) was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.  Game two sent Blake Willis (Jr./Newbern, Tenn.) to the hill.  Willis went 5.0 innings as Marian scored five times only one of those runs was earned.  Hunter Pingston (Sr./Rockledge, Fla.) and Brian Heil (Fr./Dallas, Tx.) pitched the final two innings.  Pingston was the winner of record as the Wildcats scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Heath Sharp (So./Fayetteville, Tenn.) provided the offense as he went 2 for 3 with a pair of double and 5 RBI.  Whitmore was 2 for 3 with a walk, three runs scored and two RBI.

On Tuesday, Drew Hayes took to the mound (Fr./McKenzie, Tenn.) against #17 Jamestown College.  Hayes took a perfect game into the final inning before Jamestown was able to notch a hit.  Bethel was able to plate a couple of runs in the third and the fourth inning to claim a 4-1 win.  Newman remained hot going 1 for 2 with a pair of walks and an RBI single.  Seth Stanfill (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) and Tanner Hall (Jr./Wingo, Ky.) each scored in the fourth on a pair of wild pitches.  The second game had lefty Jon Patterson (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) towing the rubber.  Patterson went four innings allowing six hits and four earned runs before giving way to Rhett Hughes (Jr./Harrisburg, Ill.) who pitched the final three allowing two hits and one run to claim the win, 10-8.  Scott Dean charged the offense going 2 for 4 with 5 RBI.  Jonathon Keck (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) was 2 for 3 with two RBI and Johnathan Deberry (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) was 0 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI. 

On the final day, the Wildcats opened up the day with University of St. Francis (Ill.) Jared Dulaney (Jr./Cullman, Ala.) started the game and was followed by Hunter Pingston, Brian Heil, Brain Nellett (So./Huntingdon, Tenn.) and Brian Winston (Sr./McKenzie, Tenn.).  None of the pitchers had much luck stopping St. Francis as they 15 earned runs in route to a 16-6 defeat of the Wildcats.  Bethel’s offense was limited to only six runs.  Keck was 2 for 4 with a RBI.  Tanner Hall was 1 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run scored.  Stanfill was 1 for 3 with a RBI and a run scored.  In the final game of the trip against West Virginia Tech, the Wildcats faced Marty Wiesler.  Wiesler was coming off a no-hitter against Marshall University.  Kyle Rogers (Sr./Henderson, Tenn.) took the mound for Bethel and pitched seven innings allowing only three hits and no earned runs, picking up the win 6-1.  Jim Evans (Fr./Jackson, Tenn.) pitched a scored eighth and ninth to close it out.  Newman was 3 for 3 with a RBI.  Stanfill went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI.  Hayes was 1 for 2 with a RBI.  Matt Retherford (Sr./Collinwood, Tenn.) was 1 for 2 with a walk and a RBI.