Cougar News
Baseball - Fri, Apr. 12, 2013
PADUCAH, Ky. - After playing two offensive slugfests earlier in the week in south-central Kentucky, the Mid-Continent University baseball team found itself in a different kind of game on Friday night at Paducah's Brooks Stadium.
Bethel's Blake Chandler and Mid-Continent's Luke Deaton went toe-to-toe on the mound all night long, matching each other pitch-for-pitch, but in the end, Mid-Continent (11-29, 1-6) was unable to find a momentum-changing hit, as Bethel (20-12, 7-0) continued their perfect start to TranSouth Athletic Conference play with a 4-1 win.
Bethel opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, using a walk, a single, and a double-steal to put runners at second and third with one out. Deaton got a ground out to short from Bethel's Alonzo Powell, but it was enough to score Michael Brasili and put the Wildcats up 1-0. In the third, reigning NAIA Player of the Week Brian Ferrell led off with a triple to right center, and Tyler Roberson lofted a sacrifice fly to center to push the Wildcats' lead to 2-0, but Mid-Continent answered in the bottom of the inning. Uriel Hawkins reached on an infield single and Hunter Bolden followed with his second double of the game, a laser into the right-centerfield gap that scored Hawkins from first, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The gap would remain right there for the next five innings, until Bethel took advantage of a Mid-Continent error in the top of the ninth to plate two unearned runs and push their lead to 4-1. Jordan Manney led off the ninth for Mid-Continent, blasting his second double of the game, but Mid-Continent was unable to get him home, and the Wildcats took the win 4-1.
Chandler (4-2) earned the win, allowing one earned run on nine hits in six innings, striking out one without walking a batter. Deaton (3-5) pitched a season-high eight and one-third innings in the loss, scattering seven hits and allowing four runs, four walks, while striking out six. Ryne Fisher (5) allowed just one hit in the final three innings, striking out three Cougars to earn the save. Offensively for the cougars, Bolden posted a 3-for-4 night, adding an infield single to his two doubles, Manney was 2-for-4, and Reed Vaughan notched two hits in three at bats. Hawkins, Richard Arias, and Jordan Adams each added singles as well for the Cougars.
The two teams will wrap up their weekend series with a double-header at Brooks Stadium on Saturday at Noon.
