Bethel Baseball watches series slip by against Crichton College;
Matt Swinea, Sports Information Director
MCKENZIE, TENN. (Saturday, March 24, 2007) – The Bethel Wildcats have been focused on trying to win series. Knowing that winning every game is just not realistic, the team emphasizes trying to win 2 out of 3 every series. Unfortunately, this past weekend that goal slipped right through their fingers. Crichton took game one 12-8, but Bethel rebounded in game one on Saturday 12-2, and then had a 10-3 lead in the final game of the series before falling 11-10 in 11 innings.
In the first game, the Wildcats jumped out in front early on the Comets scoring two runs in the bottom of the first, but were unable to hold on. Landon Wood (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) got the start for Bethel. Wood had been pitching great of late and was leading in the team in ERA. But, he didn’t make it out of the second inning, only pitching 2.2 innings. Wood gave up six earned runs on seven hits before Brian Winston (Sr./McKenzie, Tenn.) came on in relief. Winston wasn’t able to fair much better, yielding four runs, three earned, on four hits in 1.1 innings of work. Jared Dulaney (Jr./Cullman, Ala.) wasn’t able to slow the Comets down allowing three earned runs in one inning. Brian Nellett (So./Huntingdon, Tenn.) provided some quality innings going four giving up one run on only two hits. Crichton had a 13-3 lead before Bethel was able to string together a good offensive inning. Tyler Newman (Jr./Henderson, Tenn.) led off the inning with a single. Heath Sharp (So./Fayetteville, Tenn.) followed with another single. With one gone, Matt Retherford (Sr./Collinwood, Tenn.) singled to center driving in Newman. Then, Tanner Hall (Jr./Wingo, Ky.) tripled to left field, driving in two more runs. Hall then scored on a wild pitch before the inning ended. Bethel would score one more in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early lead by Crichton. Hall was 3 for 5 with a run scored and two RBI. Retherford was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI. Sharp was 2 for 3, scored twice and walked two times. Seth Stanfill was 1 for 3 with a run scored and a walk. Newman was 2 for 5 with two runs scored.
The Wildcats were able to rebound in the first game on Saturday with a strong pitching performance from Drew Hayes (Fr./McKenzie, Tenn.). Hayes pitched a complete game allowing two runs on only five hits and struck out five. Hayes also got offensive support from the ‘Cats as they scored 12 runs on 13 hits. Hall was perfect going 3 for 3 with a walk, run scored and 3 RBI. Alex Whitmore (Sr./Nashville, Tenn.) was 3 for 4 with two runs scored, two RBI and his tenth homer of the season. Sharp was 1 for 3 with two runs scored, a walk and two RBI. Stanfill was had two RBI. Hayes helped his own cause going 2 for 3 with two runs scored and 1 RBI. Catcher Jim Evans (Fr./Jackson, Tenn.) was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a RBI.
Bethel had a great opportunity to take the series in the finale on Saturday, but saw the game get away from them. The Wildcats were comfortably ahead after five innings 7-3. Evans singled driving in two runs in the bottom of the first. Bethel added another run on Scott Dean’s RBI single in the second. Stanfill continued the scoring for Bethel driving in two runs in the third. Jonathon Keck (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) added to his single season home run record hitting a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth for the 7-3 lead. But, the Bethel pitching staff was unable to hold the Comets as they scored four runs in the top of the sixth to tie the score at 7-7. Crichton extended the lead to 10-7 in the top of the seventh but Bethel responded with another two-run homer from Keck and a solo shot from Stanfill to tie the score at 10-10, sending it into extra frames. Crichton scratched a run across in the top of the 11th and Bethel could not respond. Jon Patterson (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) started on the mound for the Wildcats pitching five innings giving up five runs on nine hits and striking out seven. Rhett Hughes (Jr./Harrisburg, Ill) went one inning giving up two hits and two runs. Evans went from behind the plate to the mound for 0.2 innings allowing three runs on three hits. Jonathan Neely (Jr./Cullman, Ala.) was lights out pitching 2.1 innings giving up only one hit and struck out two. Brian Nellett pitched the final two frames allowing one run on one hit and struck out two. Offensively, Keck was 4 for 5 with two runs scored, 4 RBI and two homers. Keck now has 12 dingers on the season, extending his single season home record. Stanfill was 3 for 5 with one run scored, three RBI and a homer. Sharp was 2 for 6 with three runs scored. Evans was 1 for 4 with two RBI. Dean was 1 for 6 with a RBI.
The Wildcats are now 19-11-1 (6-6) on the season. They will be playing a double header at Wildcat Park on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 against Harris Stowe College (Mo.). First pitch is set for 12:00pm.