Pilots roll past TIU

VERO BEACH, Fla. – The Bethel College baseball team scored in all six frames they batted in, including seven in the third inning to cruise past Trinity International (Ill.) 14-2 on Thursday afternoon to avoid falling below .500 for the first time this season.

GAME VITALS

• Score: Bethel def. Trinity International 14-2
• Records: Bethel (7-6) | Trinity International (0-14)
• NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll: Bethel – not rated | Trinity International – not rated
• Location: Historic Dodgertown Field 2 | Vero Beach, Fla.

STAT TRACKER

• Syam Lafi: 3-3, 2B, 3 R
• Mike Wathier: 3-3, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 1 R
• Collin Affolder: 2-3, 1 RBI, 2 R
• Luke Adams: 1-4, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB
• Kory Goodrich: 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The Pilots managed six extra-base hits in the game, including two (and eight total bases) from Mike Wathier. The Pilots rank 9^th in NAIA DII in slugging percentage at .547.
• Kory Goodrich notched his team-leading third win of the season on the mound. In five starts, Goodrich has given up six earned runs in 20.1 innings pitched for a 2.65 ERA.
• Wathier’s four runs batted in on the day is the most in a single game this season since Jesse Zepeda knocked in five runs against OSU-Mansfield in game one on September 30.
• The Pilots now have totaled double-digits in the hit column in eight of their 13 games this season, and rank 4^th in the NAIA DII in batting average at .358.

COACH ZARTMAN SAYS

• “After a tough walk off loss last night, our ball club came back today and responded very well on the field.  I felt like we played a complete game from start to finish.  It was a great opportunity for us to dig into our bench and give a lot of guys in game experience for multiple innings.  I am excited to get us back on the field Friday to close out our Florida trip on a high note.”

NEXT TIME OUT

• The Pilots have one more game in Vero Beach, Florida on Friday afternoon, a rematch against Trinity International, with first pitch scheduled for 12pm before returning to Indiana for a double header on Wednesday, March 14 against IU Kokomo in Kokomo, Indiana, with first pitch of game 1 starting at 1pm. The Pilots open up play at Patterson Field on Friday and Saturday, March 16-17 against Indiana Wesleyan with a nine-inning game on Friday at 3pm and a double-header starting at 12pm.