BETHANY – The Bronchos got back-to-back home runs from junior Charlie Tolle and Josh Pierce and a strong pitching performance from another junior Layton Reither in a 10-0 run-rule shutout of Harding Prep Thursday (April 25) in the first round of the Class 4A regionals.
A triple to center field by Pierce in the first inning scored sophomore Karter Thomas to give Bethany a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Pierce and Tolle went back-to-back with homers over the right field wall. Junior Andrew Taber followed with a single to right. Taber advanced to third on back-to-back sacrifice bunts by seniors Christian Sigler and Gavin Finley. Taber scored on a single to right from junior Brock Cross to make it 4-0.
In the fifth inning, a leadoff walk of senior Cade Ross started a four-run inning. Ross advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third base. He scored a on a squeeze play bunt by Thomas. Bethany piled on the runs with four straight singles by Tolle, Taber, Sigler and Finley, increasing the lead to 7-0.
In the sixth inning, three walks, a single by junior Joe Berry and a passed ball brought home two more run to end the game early in a run-rule.
Reither earned the win, allowing four hits over five innings, striking out seven and walking two batters. Junior Levi Moore pitched a scoreless sixth inning, striking out one batter.
UP NEXT: Bethany (20-13) plays the winner of Clinton and Sulphur at 6:30 p.m.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harding Prep | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Bethany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 0 |
L: Knight
| HARDING PREP | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Knight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Crabb | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robinson | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sarkey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| M Mazrroee | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Godwin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M Mazrroee | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Green | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| HARDING PREP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight ( L ) | 5.2 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 5.2 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| BETHANY | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Pierce | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tolle | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Taber | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sigler | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Finley | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cross | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Orton | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – Berry | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 25 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
HR: Tolle, Pierce
SB: Ross 2, Cross, Gilliland
| BETHANY | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reither ( W ) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Moore | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
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