Wildcats Split Twinbill with Olivet Nazarene at Wildcat Park

MCKENZIE, Tenn. - The Bethel Wildcats earned a split Saturday afternoon with the Olivet Nazarene Tigers at the Kahlden Complex, taking the opener 3-2 before dropping a tightly contested 6-5 decision in game two.

In the first game, Bethel leaned on a complete-game effort from Alex Sterling. The right-hander scattered four hits and allowed just two earned runs while striking out six over seven innings to secure the win.

The Wildcats set the tone early, scoring one run in each of the first three innings. Juan Diego Ramos went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Adriel Vega doubled and drove in a run. CJ Lattimore and Zayden McCaslin added energy on the basepaths with stolen bases as Bethel built a 3-0 advantage.

Olivet Nazarene trimmed the lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth, but Sterling closed the door down the stretch to preserve the victory.

In game two, the Tigers responded with a strong start, scoring five runs in the first four innings. A two-run home run by Kydin Horvath helped Olivet Nazarene build an early cushion.

Bethel battled back throughout the contest. Ramos stayed hot at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance, while Vega drove in three runs. Christian Wilkes delivered three scoreless innings in relief, striking out five to give the Wildcats a chance late.

Trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Bethel rallied with three runs to cut the deficit to one and brought the tying run into scoring position. However, the comeback bid fell just short as Olivet Nazarene held on for the split.

"I'm proud of how our guys competed all day," said Bethel head coach Rusty Thompson. "We got a tremendous effort from Sterling in game one and showed a lot of fight in the second game. We're close — now it's about tightening up the small things and putting together a complete performance."

Bethel moves to 2-6 on the season following the doubleheader. ONU is 2-9 o the season.

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