To date, BC baseball has been able to avenge all their league losses that they have suffered this season, and today the Pilots continued that trend. After falling to Goshen on Friday 7-5 and dropping Saturday’s opener 4-0, the Pilots used a ninth-inning rally to pick up a needed win over the Maple Leafs to avoid the series sweep. The Pilots finish the day with an overall record of 14-8 and a 5-7 mark in league action.
In game one on Saturday, BC’s Jared Laurent and GC’s Braedon Evans went toe-to-toe in a pitching battle that allowed just seven combined hits. The pair each went the distance for their respective squads, but Evans ultimately prevailed as the Maple Leafs’ offense turned four hits into four runs while BC’s three hits failed to generate a run.
Goshen took the lead in the first frame and tacked on the second run in the fourth. The insurance runs came for the hosts in the bottom of the sixth when two walks came back to bite the Pilots as both free passes resulted in runs.
In the nightcap, Goshen looked poised to pick up their third win over BC in their third try as they led 7-4 heading into the top of the ninth. However, the Pilots, who have showed a great deal of resilience in comeback efforts this season, rallied at the right time. Facing a new pitcher, Austin Branock and Collin Affolder picked up back-to-back hits to start the frame after which Eric Kelver was given a free pass after getting hit by a pitch. Still with no outs recorded, a timely double by freshman Mike Wathier plated all three runners. Heads-up running by Wathier on the play allowed him to move over to third on the throw, and the go-ahead run stood just 90 feet away from the plate. Two batters later, Sean Luzon produced a RBI single up the middle, putting BC back on top 8-7.
Coach Seth Zartman called upon Branock to close the game in the bottom of the ninth. The senior made it a quick appearance, fanning the first GC batter. After the second Maple Leaf drew a walk, a 6-3-1 double play put the final stamp on the nine-inning affair.
A plethora of Pilots recorded hits in the win. BC was led by Branock who was four-of-five from the plate. Brandon Diss and Affolder each added three to the cause while Wathier and Cam Gallaway each recorded a pair. Wathier’s big outing also included four total RBIs.
Bethel will step away from league play on Tuesday to host the Golden Eagles of Cornerstone University for a doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m. League action will resume for BC on Thursday, April 6th when the Pilots host Huntington for a nine-inning contest at 3:00 p.m.
