Bethel Swept on road vs. #5 Trevecca Nazarene University
Matt Swinea, Sports Information Director
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Saturday, March 31, 2007) - The Wildcat baseball team fought hard losing the in the first two games of the series and then got behind in the final game to drop the weekend series against the #5 Trojans of Trevecca Nazarene University 0-3.
On Friday, Bethel lost a hard fought game after trailing 0-10. The Wildcats made it a very interesting game as they out hit the Trojans 17-13 for the game getting to within three runs. Bethel sent knuckle-baller Kyle Rogers (Sr./Henderson, Tenn.) to the hill to start and unfortunately, Rogers had trouble spotting his knuckler. Rogers lasted only two innings giving up six runs on six hits. He also hit three batters. Landon Wood (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) came on in the third inning and didn’t fair much better. Wood allowed three runs on only two hits in his inning of work. Brain Heil (Fr./Dallas, Tx.) came in a gave the Wildcats what they needed; holding Trevecca to two runs in 3.2 innings. By stopping the Trojans, Heil allowed the offensive to get a chance. Bethel got one run back in the top of the sixth as Tyler Newman (Jr./Henderson, Tenn.) hit a one-out double that was followed by a long RBI double by Heath Sharp (So./Fayetteville, Tenn.). Then the Wildcats made it real interesting in the top of the seventh, scoring six runs all with two outs. Scott Dean (Fr./Jackson, Tenn.) singled with two down and then swiped second before Drew Hayes (Fr./McKenzie, Tenn.) singled to left advancing Dean to third. Alex Whitmore (Sr./Nashville, Tenn.) followed with a RBI single to center, scoring Dean. Newman singled to left allowing Hayes to score. Sharp smashed a RBI doubled to left-center, Whitmore scored. Jonathon Keck (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) kept the inning going with a single to right, Newman scored. Johnathan Deberry (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) put one through the infield for a single allowing Sharp to score. Josh Wharton (Fr./Herrin, Ill.) who came in to run for Keck scored on a wild pitch. Bethel would load the bases with a couple of walks, but Dean ended the inning with a pop out to short. Trevecca plated one run in the bottom of the seventh and the eighth to open a five run lead. But, Bethel battled again in the ninth. Sharp led off the inning with a single to left. Keck reached on a walk, but Deberry grounded into a double play, leaving Keck at second. Matt Retherford (Sr./Collinwood, Tenn.) singled to center. Seth Stanfill (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) singled to left, scoring Keck. Dean followed with a single, up the middle, to load the bases. Hayes reached on a walk, plating a run. Then Bethel had who the wanted at the plate, but Whitmore flied out to right to end the game 9-12.
Saturday’s double header saw an outstanding pitching performance from Hayes, who pitched six innings giving up three hits, three runs while striking out eight. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Trevecca also got a stellar performance from their pitcher Barrett Brown. Neither team notched a hit until the top of the fifth. In fact, Hayes had a perfect game through five innings. In the Bethel half of the fifth, Retherford ripped to double to deep center out of the center fielder’s reach. But, Bethel was unable to bring him home. Hayes had six strike outs through five innings, then Trevecca finally broke through. A slow dribbler past the pitcher’s mound was a tough play for third baseman Whitmore who slipped and fell allowing the Trojans a hit and their first base runner. Hayes then was called for a balk, that Head Coach Glenn Hayes and everyone on the Wildcat side had an issue with. But, Hayes settled and struck out the next batter and got a shallow fly for the second out. Then, the next batter was intentionally walked putting runners on first and third. Trevecca’s Chris Lowe then doubled to left allowing both runners to score. The Trojans scored one more in the inning before Hayes struck out the final batter. Bethel managed to get a couple of runners on in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as Trevecca took the game 0-3.
In the final game of the series, Trevecca got off to a fast start and never looked back. The pitching line up for Bethel of Newman, Blake Willis (Jr./Newburn, Tenn.), Brian Nellett (So./Huntingdon, Tenn.), Jon Patterson (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) and Hunter Pingston (Sr./Rockledge, Fla.) didn’t have much success against Trevecca. Between the five pitchers, the Trojans scored 14 runs on 14 hits before the game was called in the fifth inning for the run rule. Bethel managed to score four runs, but was never to overcome the 0-9 deficit after the third inning.
With the losses, Bethel falls to 21-14-1 (6-9) on the season.