WASHINGTON, Pa. (March 31) - The Wheeling Jesuit University baseball team was swept by defending league-champion Charleston Sunday evening in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) doubleheader at Wild Things Park. The Cardinals fell 5-3 in the opener, before bowing out 14-8 in the nightcap.
WJU drops to 4-19 overall, 3-7 in the MEC. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles improve to 8-2 in league play, 14-10 this season.
GAME ONE: Charleston 5, Wheeling Jesuit 3
The Cardinals were unable to erase a three-run deficit in their game one loss.
Charleston headed into the bottom of the third up 3-0 when the Cardinals got on to the board with an RBI-single by senior second baseman
Adam Dennison (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth). During the next at-bat, junior center fielder Phillip Derick (Prattsburgh, N.Y./Prattsburgh Central) stole third and advanced home when the throw deflected off of his helmet and out of play to make the score 3-2.
The Golden Eagles quickly recouped the two runs in the fourth inning to rebuild their lead to 5-2. The Cardinals tacked on a run in the fifth inning with the help of another UC error to make the score 5-3, but they were unable to get any closer.
Junior pitcher
Josh Bell (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) was tagged with the loss. Bell (0-3) allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts over five innings of work.
GAME TWO: Charleston 14, Wheeling Jesuit 8
Charleston scored the game's first six runs before securing the series sweep with a 14-8 win.
The Cardinals trailed 6-0 in the second when junior center fielder
Tristan Grimes (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) delivered a RBI-single to put WJU on the board.
The Golden Eagles got the run back to make the score 7-1 in the top half of the third, but the Cardinals posted four in the bottom of the inning to draw within two at 7-5. WJU took advantage of three UC errors and had three hits, including a RBI-single by freshman catcher
Colin Caven (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township), in the big inning.
Charleston once again answered the Cardinals. UC posted a four-run inning of its own in the top of the fourth and added three more in the fifth to put the game away.
Grimes led the squad with two hits and two RBI, while freshman shortstop
Ryan Lynn (Butler, Pa./Butler Area) finished with two hits and two runs scored.
The Cardinals return home tomorrow, Monday, April 1 for their home opener at the JB Chambers Complex to take on West Virginia State for a MEC doubleheader at 1 p.m.
