The Wildcats got starter David Rodriguez's best pitching performance of the year. Rodriguez went 8.1 innings allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked four. Closer Rhett Hughes pitched the final two outs for his fourth save of the season. Bethel trailed 1-0 early but scored a run to tie in the third. With one out, Craig Massey triples to left-center and score on Will Cripps sacrifice fly to right. It took a while, but the ‘Cats struck again in the seventh as Johnathan Deberry went deep to left-center with a man on for 3-1 lead. The Cougars plated a run in the top of the eighth, but Bethel responded with three in the bottom of the eighth; Jake Ramsey lined a pitch-hit three-run double to center giving the Wildcats a 6-2 lead. The Cougars plated another run in the top of the ninth for the final score 6-3.
Saturday's double header got off to a rough start as MCU took a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning. Bethel responded in the bottom of the fifth with two runs; with two outs and the bases loaded, Massey singled scoring Ramsey and Jay Lowery. Then, Bethel put the game out of reach with a six run eighth inning. Brandon McCormick blasted the first home run of his collegiate career to right to tie the game. Jim Evans followed with a single, Ramsey singled, Lowery was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Deberry hit a RBI single, Will Cripps was safe on an error that scored Ramsey, Keck cleared the bases with a three-run single and Bethel led 8-3, which held up. Senior Blake Willis started for the Wildcats going 4.0 innings giving up three runs on five hits. Keck pitched the final three innings allowing no hits, one walk and he struck out five to pick up his fourth win of the season.
Bethel looked to finish the sweep as Chris Crenshaw took the hill. Crenshaw was outstanding for the second week in a row going five innings giving up two runs on five hits and striking out four. Blake Talbott pitched a perfect final inning striking out two picking up his first collegiate save. Bethel got on the board early in the second inning; Andrew Maddox singled to left and with two gone, Jim Evans blasted a homer to deep right center for a 2-0 lead. The Cougars clawed back in by scoring a run in the fourth, but Bethel answered in the bottom half of the inning. Keck led off the inning hitting his thirteenth homer of the season, Seth Stanfil was hit by a pitch and scored on Heath Sharp's double and Bethe led 4-1. MCU would score another run in the fifth, but the Wildcats countered with one in the bottom half of the inning; Deberry singled, stole second, then advanced to third on Massey's ground out, Cripps hit a sacrifice fly to score Deberry. Then, Bethel ended the game early with a seven run sixth inning. Maddox doubled to right to lead off the inning, Stanfil reached on a walk, Sharp sent a long ball to deep center field for his seventh homer of the year; Evans singled, Chad Blanton singled, Deberry followed with a RBI single, Blanton scored on a wild pitch, Massey reached on an error, Cripps hit a RBI single and Keck singled to score the last run and a 12-2 final.
Bethel is 28-10 (10-7) on the year. They will be on the road Monday, April 14, 2008 in Nashville, Tenn. to play a double header against Fisk University beginning at 1:00pm. Then they will host Cumberland University in conference action on Friday, April, 18, 2008 at 2:00pm and a double header on Saturday, April 19, 2008 beginning at 1:00pm.