Bat Cats Fight until the End but Season Ends in Bowling Green
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. The No. 4 seeded Bethel Wildcats and the No. 6 seeded Phoenix of Cumberland University squared off Saturday, both facing elimination in the MSC tournament in Bowling Green.
As always between the two it was another hard-fought affair, but Cumberland would prevail winning 7-6.
Cumberland's leading hitter and MSC Player of the Year, Nolan Machibroda doubled in two runs in the first to give the Phoenix a 2-0 lead.
As they have repeatedly done in recent games, the Wildcats answered. Jacob Foster and Luis Aristud drove in runs in the bottom of the inning to knot the game at 2-2. Kendrick Osborne and Ivan Vega had singled to open the inning. Aristud laid down a bunt to drive in his run. Foster's fielder's choice accounted for his RBI.
In the third, Tyler Hughes hit a two-run homer and Cumberland grabbed a 4-2 lead. It appeared the Phoenix were on the cusp of a big inning when they loaded the bases, but Bethel's Ryan White was able to get out of the jam and negate any further damage.
Neither team scored until the top of the sixth when Jayden Hanna hit a solo shot to increase CU's margin to 5-2. Later in the inning, the Phoenix added an unearned run after a Bethel error and led 6-2.
The Cats fought back in the bottom of the sixth with an unearned run when pinch runner Rivers Moffatt scored after a Cumberland error. The Cats would load the bases but were unable to score and trailed 6-3 after six.
Hughes struck again with a sacrifice fly driving in a run in the eighth to push CU's lead to 7-3.
Bryan Catala walked to lead off Bethel's eighth. Wyatt McKee doubled to put runners at second and third with no one out. With one out, Vega grounded out driving in Catala. Aristud singled driving in McKee. Foster singled and the Cats had runners at first and second with two outs. Both advanced on a passed ball but were stranded and Bethel trailed 7-5 after eight.
The Wildcats would not go quietly. Freshman Moffatt hit a lead-off homer in the ninth. It was his first collegiate home run. The Cats were unable to get a runner on the remainder of the game and lost the tough one-run affair.
Both squads had scoring chances throughout the game. CU left 10 men on while Bethel stranded 12 runners. Bethel was 2-of-13 with runners in scoring position.
CU outhit Bethel 10-9.
John Boren suffered the loss while Trevor Muzzi picked up the Phoenix win. Rance Pittman earned the save.
The Wildcats finished the season with a 18-24 mark. The Phoenix stayed alive and advanced in the tournament at 12-41.
Coach Rusty Thompson spoke about how proud he was of his squad and their effort. "It's always tough when a season comes to an end. We knew we had an extremely young team and would have lots of learning and growing pains through the year but as a coaching staff we are so proud of how much they grew and developed as the season went on. A lot of teams would have folded long ago but these guys fought all year long, just as they did today. They never quit and laid down."
Thompson added, "Our seniors were splendid examples for our younger guys. Wildcat baseball will miss them dearly, but we look forward to seasons to come with our young team being older and wiser. We appreciate the support from the Bethel faculty and staff, families, fans, past players and their families as well. Go Wildcats."