Bethel Christian edges Jones Senior 9-6 despite Mustachia’s dominant outing
Bethel Christian edges Jones Senior 9-6 despite Mustachia’s dominant outing
Bethel Christian Academy used timely hitting and patience at the plate to defeat Jones Senior 9-6 on Tuesday, overcoming a strong pitching performance from Gage Mustachia.
Jones Senior (3-3) finished with nine hits in the loss and briefly held the lead midway through the game before Bethel Christian surged ahead with a four-run fifth inning.
The Trojans tied the game early when Levi Gates singled to center field in the second inning, bringing Bethel Christian even at 1-1.
Jones Senior regained the lead in the bottom of the third when Brodie Stevens delivered a single to push the Jaguars ahead 2-1. Logan Murphy added another RBI single in the fourth inning to give Jones Senior a 3-2 advantage.
Bethel Christian responded in the fifth inning, taking control of the game with four runs. Jamey Williams sparked the rally with a single down the left-field line. Brooks Russell and Coulby McQueary each contributed sacrifice flies, while Gates added another RBI single to help the Trojans build a 6-3 lead.
Levi Gates led Bethel Christian at the plate, going 3-for-3. Williams also collected three hits in the game as the Trojans finished with nine hits and drew seven walks. Reid Radford and McQueary each worked two walks, while Radford also stole two bases.
On the mound, Williams earned the win for Bethel Christian, allowing six runs (two earned) on eight hits across 5⅓ innings while striking out eight and walking three. Russell closed the game with 1⅔ scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit while striking out one.
Despite the loss, Mustachia delivered an impressive performance for Jones Senior. The senior struck out 11 batters across four innings while allowing just two hits and two runs. He also helped his own cause at the plate with two hits and three runs scored.
Logan Murphy paced Jones Senior offensively, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Mustachia added two hits, while Devin Coward, Tucker Whaley, and Chris Frame each recorded a hit.
The Jaguars totaled nine hits in the game but struck out nine times.
With the loss, Jones Senior moves to 3-3 on the season. A win would have given the Jaguars their best start in four years.
Bethel Christian improves to 2-2 on the season and will return home Friday to face Community Christian in their next game.
