Softball 4/27/2016 2:36:00 PM Chris Myers

Cardinals Softball Aims for MEC Tournament Championship Gold

WJU 2016 Schedule/Results
WJU 2016 Season Stats
WJU 2016 Team Roster

TROUTVILLE, Va. – In a breakout season, the Wheeling Jesuit aims for Mountain East Conference Softball Tournament gold this weekend.

The Cardinals take their highest-win total since restarting the program 14 years ago and look for even more success in what will be a very tough eight-team MEC Tournament field.

The MEC Tournament begins Friday, April 29, and runs through Sunday, May 2 at the Botetourt Sports Complex in Troutville, Va.

MEC Tournament Central for all the event information.

WJU (34-18) enters the championship as the No. 2 seed from the North Division where it went 22-10. The Cardinals open their Friday action in a noon game against the No. 3 South Division seed Concord (29-21/18-14 MEC South).

"We are all excited to head to the tournament this weekend. The players are ready and focused. When tournament time comes anything can happen," said WJU coach Kelli Williams. "We need to make sure we take care of business and we will be happy on Sunday.

At the same time as the WJU/Concord matchup, No. 23-ranked and top South Division seed University of Charleston (42-7/29-3 MEC South) faces the North Division fourth seed Notre Dame College (15-34/9-23 MEC North).

In the 2:30 p.m. other first round matchups, No. 24-rated and South Division second seed West Virginia Wesleyan (44-7/27-5 MEC South) plays No. 3 North seed Fairmont State (20-26/14-16 MEC North). The North Division regular season champion Shepherd (33-14/24-7 MEC North) takes on the South Division fourth seed The University of Virginia's College at Wise (25-28/15-17 MEC South).

WJU qualified for the MEC Tournament for the third year in a row. The Cardinals are 3-4 in their first two appearances.

In 2014 after being shut out in the first round, WJU rattled off three-straight win, before it was eliminated in the semifinals. Last spring, the Cardinals offense did not get off the ground as they fell in shutouts to West Virginia State and Shepherd in their two contests.

Wheeling Jesuit hopes to ride their most successful season since the program returned to the Wheeling campus in 2002. The Cardinals' 34-18 season is their first winning season since 2008 and increased their win total by 14 wins from last year's 20-20 campaign.

Against this year's MEC field, WJU posted an 11-9 records against the other seven qualifying teams.

The Cardinals and Mountain Lions will play a 'rubber game' in their Friday opening contest. The two teams split their only doubleheader of the season on Sunday, April 30, in Athens. WJU pitcher Mallory Chapman held Concord to five hits and one earned run with six strikeouts in the 2-1 WJU victory in game one. Tied in the top of the seventh, Dana Achille lofted a single to left field to score Rachel Conrad with the game-deciding run.

In game two, the Mountain Lions pushed across a pair of runs in both the home third and fifth innings for a 4-1 lead. Achille blasted solo home runs in the sixth and seventh frames, but the round-trippers were not enough as the Cardinals fell short, 4-3.

Cardinals in the the MEC Ranks:
Team:
4^th in Pitching – 2.63 ERA
5^th in Batting – .298 average
6^th in Fielding – .957 fielding percentage

Individual:
Pitchers
Mallory Chapman – 2^nd in strikeouts (151), 4^th in wins (17) & 8^th in ERA (2.33)
Kori Locke – 7^th in ERA (2.28)

Hitters
Cassie Holstein – 2^nd in hits (70) & 5^th in average (.393)
Molly Welsh – 6^th in average (.392)

WJU Team Leaders
Pitching
ERA: Locke – 2.28
Wins: Chapman – 17
Shutouts: Chapman – 5
Saves: Locke – 2
Innings Pitched: Chapman – 165.0
Strikeouts: Chapman – 151

Hitting
Average: Holstein – .393
At Bats: Holstein – 178
Runs: Holstein – 47
Hits: Holstein – 70
Doubles: Welsh – 13
Triples: Four tied with 1
Home Runs: Achille – 5
RBI: Kelsi Thompson – 36
Walks: Ali Smith – 20
Hit by pitch: Smith – 3
Stolen Bases: Holstein - 17

-GoCards-

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