Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 WHEELING, W.Va.---The Wheeling Jesuit softball team opened the 2013 season at the Francis Marion University Tournament over the weekend. Jesuit posted a 1-3 record in Florence, S.C., recording the first win against Barton College, 13-5. The Cardinals dropped the initial two games to FMU and Mount Olive College, 7-0 and 10-2, respectively, before recording their first win of the season. In addition, WJU ended the trip with a 12-4 loss to Mount Olive.
 
On Saturday, the Cardinals took the field for the first time against the home standing Patriots of FMU. Jesuit fell behind early as the Patriots scored a run in the first inning and followed with three runs in the second inning. FMU tacked on two additional runs in the fifth and one in the sixth for the 7-0 victory.
 
FMU scattered seven hits as WJU pitcher, Ashley Nichols, received the opening day loss with six strikeouts, six earned runs and three walks. Jarah Ice and Rachel Conrad recorded the Cardinals' two hits.
 
In Saturday's nightcap, Jesuit crossed the plate first, scoring a run in the second inning for an early 1-0 lead. Sydney Mencke recorded the Cardinals' first run after finding the right field gap for a double and touched tome plate on a two base fielding error by the right fielder. Mount Olive retaliated with two runs in the in the third and fourth innings for a 4-1 advantage. Jesuit responded with one run in the fifth when Victoria Vuljanic blasted a single to right field, scoring Mencke, who reached on a walk. The Trojans answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and added four in the sixth for the 10-2 win.
 
Erika Jusko received the loss for WJU, allowing 12 hits, six earned runs, two strikeouts and two walks. Ice led the Cardinal offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate while Aleecia Sunagel, Mencke and Vuljanic each had one hit – Sunagel and Mencke each recorded doubles.
 
On Sunday, the Cardinals opened with their first win of the season against Barton College. Jesuit's offense exploded with 13 hits and 13 runs while only allowing four hits and five runs. The Cardinals set the tone early, recording four runs in the first inning and two runs in the second inning for a 6-0 advantage. Barton cut the lead in half in the top of the third inning; however, the Cardinals responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning and followed with five in the fourth inning for the win.
 
WJU pitcher, Ashley Nichols, received the win, allowing four hits and two earned runs while recording two strikeouts and a walk. Ice led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored while Skylar Berger, Ali Smith and Conrad added 2-for-2 performances. Berger and Smith each had a double and single with two RBI and a run scored while Conrad scored three runs with two singles, a base on balls, and three RBI. Lorian Tharp, Jusko, Sunagel and Casey Garloch all added one hit each.
 
In the final game of the tournament, Wheeling Jesuit fell to Mount Olive. The Trojans rallied with seven runs on four doubles and three singles in the opening frame, and the Cardinals responded with one. Mount Olive added one run in the second inning, and Jesuit touched home plate three times. The Trojans scored three in the third and one in the fourth en route to the 12-4 win.
 
WJU pitcher Smith earned the loss. The Cardinals' offense was led by Tharp and Jusko. Tharp was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored while Jusko was 2-for-3 and a RBI. Ice, Sunagel, Conrad and Berger added hits.
 
Ice finished the opening weekend with a 7-for-13 effort (.538 batting average) with three runs scored and a RBI. Conrad followed with a 4-for-10 performance (.400 batting average) with three runs scored and three RBI, while four Cardinals notch three hits each.
 
Wheeling Jesuit will be back in action in Raleigh, N.C. at the Shaw Tournament on February 15-17.