PILOTS BREAK OUT BIG STICKS, ELIMINATE GRACE FROM POSTSEASON

WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Already eliminated from postseason contention themselves, the Bethel College baseball team had the opportunity to play spoiler to their rivals Grace, needing just to split to eliminate Grace from Crossroads League postseason contention. Mike Wathier provided the game-winning runs needed in the 10thinning of game two, with a full-count, two-run home run—his second of the day—to give the Pilots the eventual 8-6 victory.

GAME VITALS

• Game 1 Score: Grace def. Bethel 15-13
• Game 2 Score: Bethel def. Grace 8-6 F/10
• Records: Bethel (17-28, 8-19) | Grace (9-33, 9-18)
• NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll: Bethel – not rated | Grace – not rated
• Location: Miller Field | Grace College | Winona Lake, Ind.

STAT TRACKER

• Mike Wathier: 3-8, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R
• Syam Lafi: 4-9, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB
• Sean Luzon: 4-9, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
• Jesse Zepeda: 2-7, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R
• Eric Kelver: 5-10, 2B, 2 R

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The Pilots slugged 11 extra-base hits, including four home runs, on the afternoon.
• Josh King started game two and went 5.0 innings, striking out 9 to just one walk, allowing one earned run. Justin Rasmussen picked up the win in relief, going 3.0 innings and striking out six.
• In a high-scoring game one, the Pilots jumped out to 8-3 and 13-9 leads after their half of the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, before allowing six unanswered runs to the Lancers in the bottom half of the sixth inning to fall 15-13.
• After Mason Love doubled to open the top of the tenth inning and a Lancer pitching change, Mike Wathier deposited a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for his sixth home run of the season—tying him for the team lead with Collin Affolder—and the difference-making runs.
• The Pilots kept the Lancers out of the 2018 Crossroads League tournament with the win. The Lancers finished 9-18 in conference play, tied with Saint Francis in 8^th place, one game ahead of the Pilots, but default to 9^th place due to losing their season series with the Cougars.
• Syam Lafi swiped two more bases, one in each game, for his team-leading 13^th and 14^th stolen bases of the season—the most since Evan Pulliam finished with 15 steals in 2013.

NEXT TIME OUT

• The Pilots finish the 2018 season with a record of 17-28.