BRIDGEPORT, W. Va. – Wheeling Jesuit pitcher Justin Fritts fired a first-game five-hit shutout, before Fairmont State prevailed in the late contest, 8-2.
 
Fritts scattered five hits over six innings and Ben Standiford logged the final frame without allowing a hit for the Cardinal (10-21/9-17 Mountain East Conference) victory. The Falcons' (6-26/6-24 MEC) Alex Levitan belted bottom of the fifth two-run home run to give his team the doubleheader split.
 
Fritts (2-3) struck out eight Fairmont State hitters in his six innings of work. Standiford added two more strikeouts to complete the WJU mound work.
 
The Cardinals received a double and single from Patrick Ammar, Joe San Felippo and Dillon Sunnafrank to lead the effort. Chris Brake added a second-game double and Anthony Connacher singled twice in the opener.
 
Wheeling Jesuit and Fairmont State completes the four-game series on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
 
Game 1
 
In the top of the first inning, Connacher singled, moved to second when Ammar was hit by a pitch, stole third and raced home on the Fairmont State catcher's throwing error to lead 1-0.
 
Ammar, San Felippo and Sunnafrank all laced doubles with two of the three scoring to help WJU open a 3-0 advantage in the top of the fifth. Connacher added a run-scoring sixth-inning single for the 4-0 margin.
 
Fritts allowed one single in five of his six innings of work.
 
Game 2
 
Behind 1-0 in the third frame with two outs, Tyler Kowalczyk was the fourth Cardinal hitter in a row to draw a walk to tie the score, 1-1.
 
Wheeling Jesuit tied the game a second time, 2-2. San Felippo singled and he stole third base, before running home on a second Falcons' catcher throwing error.
 
Fairmont State answered WJU's run a second time. After they edged ahead with a score, Levitan belted his two-run homer for a 5-2 lead. The home club added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth for the eventual 8-2 final.