MISHAWAKA, Ind. --- The Bethel Pilots (6-40, 5-29) fought valiantly but fell to the Saint Francis Cougars (22-24, 16-20) in the final doubleheader of the season 15-9 and 11-5.
GAME 1
The Cougars struck first with two RBI singles to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. The first run came after a pitch hit Saint Francis' Aubrey Dunnuck, advanced to second on a walk, then stole third before being batted in.
Bethel retaliated in the bottom of the first after Marissa Navarrete hit a dribbler down the first base line that Cougar pitcher Mackenzie Rust threw away to score their first run of the game.
The Cougar's third run came excitingly with a sacrifice fly to left field in the top of the second, but the tag was evaded at the plate in a bang-bang play. With two outs, Maci Dowd hit a deep home run to left center field to take a 5-1 lead.
The bases were loaded on three straight walks and set up Meghan Younger for a two-RBI single to left field to get within one run at 5-4 in the bottom of the second frame. The Pilots tied the game with Marissa Navarrete's RBI single up the middle to tie 5-5; then Kate Cooper hit a hard-line drive at the pitcher, who knocked it down but loaded the bases.
In the top of the third, the Cougars batted in another run off the left-center field fence to re-take the lead 6-5. The scoring kept going on another RBI to deep left-center field, then homered to right center field on a hard line drive. The next batter smacked a solo home run over the left field fence to keep the rally going and put up 5 runs in the top of the frame.
Emmie Pugh hit a huge grand slam over the left field fence to make it a 10-9 ballgame in the bottom of the third to end the four-run rally; she hit her third home run of the season on senior night.
The Cougar offensive continued in the top of the fourth with an RBI single to left center to score another insurance run and turned around one batter later to hit a two-RBI single to right center to go up 13-9.
One more run was crossed in the top of the sixth on an RBI single to right field to grow their lead to 14-9.
Saint Francis' Tori Miller roped a line drive down the left field line to add another run to the high-scoring affair and grow their lead to 15-9, where they would secure a game-one victory.
Hannah Frady threw a complete game allowing 13 hits, 14 earned runs on nine walks, and three punchouts.
GAME 2
The Cougars scored first in the top of the second by Brenna Homan, who was called out by stepping out of the batter's box on the swing and still scored the game's first run. Brooklyn McCord roped a line drive to right field to score the second Cougar run to get an early lead of 2-0.
In the top of the third inning, Saint Francis ripped back-to-back solo home runs down the left field line to take a 4-0 lead.
The rally continued with a line drive to shallow left to score Anna Smith from second base, followed by a big three-run home run to left field and put the Cougars up 8-0.
The Pilots broke their scoreless streak in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Marissa Navarrete to score Emmie Pugh to chip away 8-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Cougars slammed their fourth home run and sixth of the day to take a 10-run lead of 11-1.
The Pilots kept themselves alive in the bottom of the fifth on Kate Cooper's forced-to-walk to score Mackenzie Navarrete, and Lita Sills laced a two-RBI single to chip away 11-4.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Game one saw 23 runs and over 200 pitches thrown between both teams.
- Three Pilots had multi-hit games in both games.
THE SEASON CONCLUDES
The Pilots will be back in action next spring for the 2024 season.
For the latest information on each of Bethel University's 31 intercollegiate athletic teams, visit BUPilots.com or follow the Pilots on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @BUPilots or on YouTube at /BethelSportsNetwork.
