SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. (March 30) – The Wheeling Jesuit University softball team came up short in both games of a Mountain East Conference (MEC) twinbill at Shepherd on Saturday. The Cardinals were defeated 5-1 in the earlier contest, before suffering a 5-2 defeat in the later contest.
WJU drops to 6-22 overall, 3-7 in the MEC with the pair of losses. The Rams climb to 9-1 in conference play, 19-5 on the season with the pair of wins.
GAME ONE: Shepherd 5, Wheeling Jesuit 1
The first game of the series saw Wheeling Jesuit tally eight hits, but only one of those hits resulted in a run scored.
The Rams jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in their first time up to bat. They picked up two more runs in the third inning with a base-clearing triple, increasing their lead to 5-0.
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning thanks to the combined efforts of senior Courtney Rogers (Hurricane, W.Va./Hurricane) and sophomore Alaina York (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell). Rogers started off the inning with a line-drive single into left-center field. She proceeded to steal second and advanced to third in the following at bat. York then stepped up to the plate and ripped a single into left field that scored Rogers from third.
Senior pitcher Erin Unterbrink (Raymond, Ohio/Marysville) put together 3.2 innings of shutout relief in which she only gave up three hits and struck out three batters.
GAME TWO: Shepherd 5, Wheeling Jesuit 2
Each team recorded 10 hits in the final game of the doubleheader. Wheeling Jesuit left eight runners on base in the loss.
Shepherd scored first with a two-out, two-RBI double in the first inning. The Rams added to their lead in the fourth inning by scoring three runs to put them up 5-0.
The Cardinals picked up both of their runs in the top of the sixth inning. Rogers lifted a ball into deep center field that scored senior Molly Welsh (Bethel Park, Pa./OLSH) from third. Junior Brianna Grimes (Mason, Ohio/Mason) singled to left field with two outs to record the second RBI of the half inning.
Rogers and Welsh each recorded two hits. The combined for a RBI and a run scored.
Shepherd's Nicole Purtell and Leann Brown each had three-hit performances. They combined for three RBIs and one run scored.
Wheeling Jesuit is scheduled to travel to Fairmont State on Monday, April 1 for another MEC twinbill. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.
