WHEELING, W.Va. (April 22) – Behind a grand slam from senior
Courtney Rogers (Hurricane, W.Va./Hurricane), the Wheeling Jesuit University softball team earned a split with league-leading Shepherd Monday afternoon at the JB Chambers I-470 Complex. The Cards won game two 5-2, after dropping the opener 9-1.
The Cardinals improve to 8-35 overall, 5-21 in the Mountain East Conference. Meanwhile, the Rams move to 21-7 in league play, 33-11 overall this season.
GAME ONE: Shepherd 9, Wheeling Jesuit 1
The Cardinals were within striking distance, until a pair of big innings late put the game away for the Rams.
Shepherd led 2-0 on a home run in the third inning. WJU sliced the lead in half in the fourth inning when junior
Brianna Grimes (Mason, Ohio/Mason) led the inning off with a single and scored on a base-hit by freshman
Gina Fogle (Toronto, Ohio/Toronto). The Cardinals later had runners at second and third with two outs, but were unable to push anyone else across.
The Rams tacked on three runs in the fifth to open up a 5-1 lead, before building the advantage to eight with four more runs in the seventh. Wheeling Jesuit scattered hits in the final two innings, but did not close the gap.
Grimes and Fogle each finished with two hits apiece, while senior
Molly Welsh (Bethel Park, Pa./OLSH) reached base in all four plate appearances with a hit and three walks.
GAME TWO: Wheeling Jesuit 5, Shepherd 2
A grand slam by Rogers was the difference in the Cardinals' game two win to garner a split.
After a pair of scoreless innings the Cardinals broke through in the third. Two walks and a base-hit by freshman
Kelsey Barron (La Salle, Mich./St. Mary Catholic Central) loaded the bases up with no outs.
The Rams retired the next two batters, before Rogers delivered a grand slam to give the Cards a 4-0 lead.
Shepherd got on to the board in the fourth with two runs on four hits to slice the lead in half.
Barron led the bottom half of the fourth off with a single and moved to third on a Welsh double. Junior
Alaina York (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) followed suit with a RBI-single to make the score 5-2, but the next three batters were retired to end the inning.
Shepherd threatened in the sixth with the bases loaded with two outs, before Barron forced a ground out to end the frame. The Rams put a runner aboard in the seventh, but once again Barron shut the door to preserve the win.
In the circle, Barron (5-14) limited the Rams to two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in a complete-game effort. She also contributed on offense with two hits and two runs scored.
Rogers led the offense with four RBI, while Walsh added one hit and two walks in three plate appearances. She reached base in all seven of her plate appearances against Shepherd on the day.
The Cardinals head to Ohio for their final two doubleheaders of the season, beginning on Friday, April 26 when they travel to Urbana for a twin bill at 2 p.m.
