Wildcats take sting out of Hornets;

Keck extends home run record, tied for first in the nation

Matt Swinea, Sports Information Director

MCKENZIE, Tenn. (Tuesday, March 27, 2007) - The Bethel College baseball team got back into the win column with a pair of wins over the visiting Harris Stowe State University (Mo.) Hornets.  Jonathon Keck (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) blasted two homers in game one to increase his Bethel single season home run record to 14.  Keck is now tied for first in total home runs in the nation and is third in homers per game.

Bethel got a solid outing from starting pitcher Hunter Pingston (Sr./Rockledge, Fla.) in game one.  Pingston hurled a complete game, going seven innings giving up two runs on five hits and struck out six.  Bethel got the scoring started in the bottom of the second as Keck walked to lead off the inning.  Tanner Hall (Jr./Wingo, Ky.) followed with a single to center.  Catcher Matt Retherford (Sr./Collinwood, Tenn.) went up the middle, singling to center driving in Keck.  Seth Stanfill (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Hall to score.  After Scott Dean (Fr./Jackson, Tenn.) walked, Drew Hayes (Fr./McKenzie, Tenn.) singled allowing Stanfill to score and the Wildcats took a 3-0 lead.  Bethel increased the lead when Keck hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third for a 4-0 lead.  Bethel carried a 4-2 advantage into the bottom of the sixth and then Keck blasted his second homer of the day to lead off the inning.  The Wildcats then loaded the bases and with one out, Hayes hit a sac fly to center to take a 6-2 lead.  Pingston closed it out in the seventh for a complete game win.   Keck was 2 for 2 with three runs scored, a walk, two RBI, and two homers.  Hayes was 1 for 3 with two RBI.  Retherford was 1 for 3 with a RBI.  Stanfill was 1 for 3 with a runs scored and a RBI.  Hall went 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Game two saw the tandem of Keck and Jared Dulaney (Jr./Cullman, Ala.) combine for five innings allowing one run each on five hits.  Keck threw three innings giving up four hits and striking out four.  Dulaney threw two innings giving up one run on one hit.  The Wildcat offense did the rest plating 12 runs in five innings to end the game early.  Bethel got on the board quickly as Heath Sharp (So./Fayetteville, Tenn.) drove in Dean who walked for a 1-0 lead after one.  The Hornets answered in the third to tie the game at 1-1.  But, the Wildcats responded in the bottom half of the inning as Alex Whitmore (Sr./Nashville, Tenn.) doubled to center.  Then Tyler Newman (Jr./Henderson, Tenn.) singled driving in Whitmore.  Sharp then hit a two-run dinger to center and a Bethel 4-1 lead.  Bethel struck for three more in the fourth.  Dean scored after a bases loaded walk.  Hayes followed, scoring on another bases loaded walk.  Keck picked up an RBI on a sac fly to left and a 7-1 lead.  Harris Stowe added a run in the fifth, but the Wildcats plated five in the bottom half of the inning to end the game by run rule 12-2.  Sharp was 2 for 2 with two runs scored, two walks, four RBI and a homer.  Newman was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, a walk and three RBI.  Keck was 1 for 3 with two RBI.  Johnathan Deberry (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) was 1 for 3 with two RBI.  Hayes was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and a RBI.