Bartholomew top pitcher on Bethany College team

The Boardman native has a 4-3 record in eight starts this season.
BY JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Brett Bartholomew (Boardman) and Aaron Meadows (Wellsville) are having successful seasons with the Bethany College baseball team in Bethany, W. Va.
Bartholomew, a junior pitcher, has made nine appearances with eight starts through 30 games, and has a 4-3 record for the most wins on the team.
He has a 3.94 earned run average over 48 innings and has struck out 26 and walked 16.
Meadows, a senior outfielder, is one of the top hitters on the team with a .337 batting average (31-for-92) with a team-high 18 runs scored and 14 RBIs.
Bethany had a 11-19 record over the span, including 7-5 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Bartholomew grows stronger
Bartholomew has grown stronger as the season has progressed, and has become one of the top pitchers in the PAC.
He has a 3-1 record in his last four starts with a 2.54 ERA over the span.
He was named PAC player of the week ending April 22 for blanking Westminster on a two-hitter, 1-0.
He needed only 75 pitches over the distance, allowing only one runner to reach second base.
"Brett has really emerged this year," Bethany coach Rick Carver.
"The biggest thing is that he has learned how to compete. He is very deserving of [the award] and has been pitching so well lately, he could have won it at least two other times."
It was Bartholomew's second shutout of the season, his third complete game and fourth overall without giving up an earned run.
He has not allowed an earned run in three of the last four games, dating to a 2-1 victory over Denison on April 1.
Coach likes performance
Carver was very pleased with Bartholomew's showing in the 1-0 win over Westminster.
"Not only did he only throw 75 pitches, but only six batters saw three or more pitches," Carver said.
"Of the six batters who drew 1-1 counts, [he] followed up each time by throwing a strike and then retired those hitters. So looking inside those numbers shows a young man who is a true competitor."
Bartholomew is tied for the top spot in the PAC with the two shutouts, and is also ranked second in games started (eight), sixth in complete games (three) and 10th in ERA (3.94) and innings pitched (48).
Bartholomew is the son of Joe and Gail Bartholomew and is majoring in accounting.
Meadows is the son of David and Suellen Meadows and is majoring in computer science.
kovach@vindy.com