Bethel College Wildcats lose series with Lyon College but finish strong

Matt Swinea, Sports Information Director

MCKENZIE, Tenn. (Saturday, April 21, 2007) – The Bethel College baseball team fell two games to one in an important conference match-up with previously ranked Lyon College.  Lyon came in on Friday and took game one of the series 13-3.  Game two on Saturday was closer, but the Wildcats lost 5-3.  But, the Wildcats pulled out a thrilling 3-2 win to salvage one game of the series.

In game one on Friday, Jonathon Keck (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) got he start on the mound.  Lyon plated a run in the top of the first and another in the top of the third for a 2-0 lead.  With two gone in the fourth, Keck helped his own cause with a solo homer.  It was Keck’s 16^th homer of the year and puts him one behind tying the Bethel College career homer mark.  But, it all came unraveled for the Wildcats in the top of the sixth.  Lyon scored three times while Keck recorded only one out to take a 5-1 lead.  Landon Wood (Jr./Lexington, Tenn.) came in and struck out the first batter for the second out.  But, Wood gave up to hits and three runs before recording the final out of the inning and Lyon led 8-1.  The Wildcats looked to start a come back as they scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning.  With one down, Tyler Newman (Jr./Henderson, Tenn.) singled to left and advanced to second on a wild throw. Heath Sharp (So./Fayetteville, Tenn.) followed with a single to center.  Keck reached on a walk to load the bases.  Then Johnathan Deberry (Fr./Lexington, Tenn.) singled, up the middle, scoring Newman and Sharp and Bethel trailed 8-3.  But, that is as close as the Wildcats would get.  Brain Nellett (So./Huntingdon, Tenn.) came in to pitch in the top of the seventh allowing a single, giving up a walk and a bunt single to load the bases.  The Wildcats then sent Rhett Hughes (Jr./Harrisburg, Ill.) to the hill.  Hughes got the ground ball the Wildcats needed to force an out at the plate.  It looked as though Hughes was going to get Bethel out of the jam as he struck out the next batter for the second out.  But, a wild pitch allowed a run to score.  The next batter was intentionally walked to load the bases again.  Hughes came through with a strike out, but it got away from the catcher and an errant throw to first allowed two runs to score and an 11-3 Lyon lead.  Kyle Rogers (Sr./Henderson, Tenn.) pitched in the ninth allowed two more runs and Lyon took game one 13-3.

Bethel had Drew Hayes (Fr./McKenzie, Tenn.) on the mound for game two on Saturday.  As they did the day before, Lyon got off to a quick start as a single and a homer led to a 2-0 Lyon lead.  But, Bethel came right back in the bottom of the second Sharp singled to center followed by Keck’s single. Deberry was hit by a pitch to load the bases Retherford (Sr./Collinwood, Tenn.) grounded into a double play, but Sharp was able to score.  Seth Stanfill singled, thru the hole at 2nd base, allowing Keck to score and tie the game at 2-2. Lyon retook the lead in the top half of the next inning scoring two runs on fours hits for a 4-2 advantage.  Bethel responded in the bottom half of the third Hayes led off the inning with a double to right-center.  Josh Wharton (Fr./Herrin, Ill.) pinch ran for Hayes and reached third on a ground out and then scored on a wild throw from the pitcher and Bethel was within one 3-4.  Lyon would score again in the top of the sixth and Bethel was unable to get anything going offensively losing the game 3-5.

Newman was called on to finish the series in the third and final game.  Newman gave the Wildcats exactly what they needed.  He threw a complete game giving up only two runs on seven hits as he earned the win.  Lyon had a 2-0 lead after, but the Wildcats scored two in the sixth to knot the score up.  Hayes homered to left to lead off the inning.  Alex Whitmore (Sr./Nashville, Tenn.) singled; Newman singled; Sharp reached first on the fielder's choice, as Newman was forced out. Keck singled to left scoring Whitmore, tying the score at 2-2.  Bethel did what they had to do to plate the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.  Scott Dean (Fr./Jackson, Tenn.) reached on a walk and was moved to second on Hayes’ sacrifice bunt.  Whitmore was intentionally walked. Then a wild throw allow the winning run to come in and Bethel won 3-2.