WHEELING, W.Va. (April 1) – The Wheeling Jesuit University baseball team won one of the two games it played against West Virginia State at the JB Chambers Complex on Monday afternoon. The Cardinals were defeated 15-3 in the first game of the series. They grabbed the lead late in the second game to come away with a 6-5 victory.
WJU moves to 5-20 overall, 4-8 in the Mountain East Conference (MEC). Meanwhile, WVSU slides to 8-4 in the MEC, 11-14 on the season.
GAME ONE: West Virginia State 15, Wheeling Jesuit 3
The Cardinals struggled to get anything going in the earlier contest of the twinbill.
The Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the second, third and sixth innings to go up 9-0. Two additional runs, followed by a grand slam homerun in the top of the seventh inning put the game out of reach.
Down 15-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Wheeling Jesuit was able to erase the shutout by putting three runs on the scoreboard for the home team. Freshman Nick Serafino (Pittsburgh, Pa./Canon-McMillan) lined a RBI-single into center field, before junior Zach Blumling (Granville, Ohio/Granville) belted a two-RBI double to left center.
WVSU's Hunter Bradley pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and recording five strikeouts.
GAME TWO: Wheeling Jesuit 6, West Virginia State 5
The Cardinals trailed for the majority of the later contest of the doubleheader, but produced offensively in the fifth and sixth innings to pick up their fourth conference win of the season.
The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in their first appearance at the plate.
Wheeling Jesuit was able to pull one run back in the third inning when senior Adam Dennison (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) scored from third on a ground out to first base.
A two-run top of the fifth inning for the Yellow Jackets gave them a comfortable 5-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Dennison scored from third on a ground out once again. Then, sophomore Hayden Hizer (Paden City, W.Va./Paden City) stepped up to the plate with two outs and ripped a two-RBI single into center field. The clutch at bat brought WJU back to within one, 5-4.
West Virginia State was held scoreless in the top of the sixth inning, allowing the Cardinals could complete their comeback in the bottom of the same inning. A pair of walks put runners on first and second to start the half inning. A wild pitch then allowed them to advance to second and third base. Dennison put the ball in play to score the base runner from third base and tie the game. Junior Philip Derick (Prattsburgh, N.Y/ Prattsburgh Central) then produced the eventual game-winning RBI with a single up the middle.
The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning, but junior Nick Luciano (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) entered the game to record the final two outs and earn his first save of the season.
Dennison went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored to lead the Cards at the plate.
Junior Tanner Evans (Bergholz, Ohio/Edison Local) was awarded his first win of the season after he limited WVSU to five runs (three earned) over 6.1 innings pitched.
The Cardinals hit the road to face Fairmont State on Saturday, April 6 for another MEC doubleheader. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.
