Titans Win Crosstown Clash Against BC Baseball
A two-run bottom of the seventh gave the Titans from IU South Bend the final push they needed to edge the Bethel Pilots baseball squad 4-2 on Monday evening. The loss drops BC’s record to 19-18 on the season while IUSB leaps to 18-23 on their campaign.
After the Titans posted the first run on the scoreboard at Newton Park on Monday evening, the Pilots posted the equalizer in the top of the fifth thanks to a lead-off solo home run off the bat of Collin Affolder. BC put a pair of runners on the base path later in the frame, but a runner was left stranded when a line drive to the third basemen led to a 5-4 double play.
IU South Bend responded quickly by nabbing the lead again in the bottom half of the fifth thanks to back-to-back hits that preluded three consecutive outs that included two strikeouts recorded by Bethel’s Josh King.
The Pilots once again rallied in the sixth, a rally that started with the lead-off batter. Stepping to the plate in the sixth, Brandon Diss coaxed a walk and was pushed around the bases on a double from Heath Brooksher and a RBI single from Mike Wathier.
The final push by the Titans came in the seventh. After keeping BC scoreless, the IUSB bats woke up, landing three hits off BC reliever Andrew Bobeck. The trio of hits led to two runs and a two-run cushion with just two innings to play.
Bethel picked up a lead-off single from Kermode in the eighth. A walk put the tying run on the bases, but the comeback effort were cut short. IU South Bend retired the final four batters over the last two innings to close the door on the Pilots.
The Pilots were originally scheduled to be back in action tomorrow on their home field, but a late schedule change put a halt to their matchup against Clarke. BC will turn their focus to a three-game weekend series against Marian. Bethel will head to Indianapolis for game one on Friday, which will be a single nine-inning battle at 3:00 p.m.