Wildcats Split Saturday Doubleheader with Dakota State
MCKENZIE, Tenn. — The Bethel Wildcats split Saturday's doubleheader with Dakota State, rallying for a 5–4 win in the opener before falling 7–6 in a tightly contested second game at Wildcat Park.
Game 1: Bethel 5, Dakota State 4
Bethel erased an early deficit and held on late to take the first game of the day.
Dakota State jumped ahead 3–0 in the top of the first inning thanks to a pair of home runs from Aidan Perry and Chris Vinson. The Wildcats answered in the bottom of the third, plating three runs to even the score.
The rally was highlighted by a two-run double from Adriel Vega and an RBI from Cade Pilkinton that tied the game.
The Trojans briefly regained the lead in the fifth when Cameron DeMaria doubled and later scored, but Bethel responded once again. Vega delivered the decisive blow in the sixth inning with an RBI double that drove in the go-ahead run and gave the Wildcats a 5–4 advantage.
Vega led Bethel at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Alex Sterling earned the win on the mound for the Wildcats after throwing six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out three. Klayton Wright closed the door in the seventh inning to record his third save of the season.
Game 2: Dakota State 7, Bethel 6
The Trojans bounced back in the second game of the doubleheader, holding off a late Bethel push to secure the split.
Dakota State struck quickly with four runs in the first inning, including a three-run homer from Connor Raney. Bethel answered immediately with a four-run inning of its own, highlighted by RBI hits from Cade Pilkinton, Juan Diego Ramos, and Galvin Sims.
The Wildcats briefly took momentum in the second and fourth innings to build a 6–5 lead, but Dakota State rallied again in the sixth. Cameron Kittridge delivered a three-run home run that proved to be the difference.
Bethel finished with nine hits in the loss. Pilkinton led the Wildcats with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Sims added two hits and two RBIs, while Adriel Vega also drove in a run.
Brody Thompson recorded the save for Dakota State, tossing two scoreless innings while striking out four.
Despite the loss, Bethel battled throughout the afternoon as both teams combined for 18 runs and 32 hits across the two games.
Bethel finished the day at 6-14 while DSU went home at 7-14.
The Wildcats travel to Campbellsville on Friday and Saturday for a three-game conference set.
Watch for a series preview later at www.bethelathletics.com
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