BETHANY, W.Va. – The Westminster College baseball team split their doubleheader against the Bethany College Bison on the road on Saturday. The Titans dropped game one, 2-1, in a tightly contested seven-inning battle, before claiming game two by a score of 8-1 in a nine-inning contest.
 
In the first game, Westminster (7-11, 5-9 PAC) and Bethany (9-9, 7-7 PAC) engaged in a pitcher's duel, as neither team managed to score a run through six innings of play. In the top of the seventh inning, Westminster broke through with the first run of the contest courtesy of an RBI-single by graduate student Tyler Barnot (Pittsburgh, PA / Bethel Park) to score classmate Frank Cinicola (Cranberry Twp, PA / Seneca Valley) to give the Titans a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Bethany got their first two runners on base and proceeded to score the tying run on an error, putting runners on first and third with no outs. On the next at bat, the Bison ended the game on a walk-off, RBI-single.
 
Cinicola and Barnot paced Westminster with a pair of hits each (tied a game-high). Junior Logan Minch (Grove City, PA / Grove City Area) put forth a solid outing over six innings, giving up two hits and two runs (none earned).
 
In the nightcap, Westminster bounced back, scoring in each of the first two innings and led 2-1 after two. In the third inning, Cinicola went deep with a two-run home run (second of the season) to boost the Titans lead to 4-1. The Titans collected four more insurance runs in the contest and cruised to victory.
 
Cinicola led the Titans in game two, tying a game-high with three hits and was just a single away from the cycle. Cinciola also had three RBIs (season-high) and a pair of runs scored (both game-highs). First-year Logan Murgenovich (Aliquippa, PA / Hopewell) matched Cinicola with three hits, while Barnot and juniors Matt Costello (New Castle, PA / Union Area) and Mike Grazier (Austintown, OH / Austintown Fitch) each collected two base knocks. First-year Logan Exler (Verona, PA / Serra Catholic) turned in arguably his best outing as a Titan, tossing a one-run complete game, giving up seven hits striking out six.
 
Westminster is back in action tomorrow to conclude its series with the Bison in a home doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.