BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (April 6) – The Wheeling Jesuit University baseball team split a doubleheader with Fairmont State when it traveled to the Bridgeport Recreation Complex on Saturday afternoon. Despite a solid outing by pitcher Josh Bell (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area), the Cardinals dropped the first game 3-0. WJU turned around its fortunes in the second game, winning 3-2 behind the arm of freshman Payton Faris (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg).
Wheeling Jesuit shifts to 7-22 overall, 5-9 in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) after splitting the twinbill with the Falcons. Meanwhile, FSU slides to 6-8 in the MEC and 15-14 on the season.
GAME ONE: Fairmont State 3, Wheeling Jesuit 0
Bell (0-4) tied his career-high of eight strike outs in six innings pitched against the Falcons in the earlier contest. He gave up five hits and allowed one earned run in the loss.
Fairmont State's Michael Stout had an even more impressive outing by pitching a complete game in which he struck out 11 batters and only gave up two hits.
The Falcons scored once in the fourth inning with a solo homerun over the left field fence. They scored twice in the fifth inning when a costly throwing error allowed runners on first and second base to reach home.
GAME TWO: Wheeling Jesuit 3, Fairmont State 2
Another strong performance on the mound, combined with the necessary run support, resulted in a victory for the Cardinals in the later contest of the series.
Faris (3-4) threw a complete game in which he struck out five, walked none, gave up six hits and allowed two runs in a complete-game effort.
The Falcons got on the scoreboard first with a lead-off homerun in the bottom of the second, taking a 1-0 lead.
Wheeling Jesuit roared back in the top of the third, scoring two runs to go up 2-1. Freshman Jacob Murray (Beallsville, Ohio/Linsly) was able to score from third base on a wild pitch to pick up the first run. Fellow freshman Colin Caven (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) scored the second run in the same at bat when an error by the second baseman allowed him to cross home plate.
Fairmont State tied the ballgame up, 2-2, in the fifth inning. A RBI-single into right field allowed a base runner from second to slide home safely.
The game-winning run came in the sixth inning thanks to masterful small-ball by WJU. Freshman Ryan Lynn (Butler, Pa./Butler Area) started off the inning by reaching base with a bunt down the third base line. He then successfully stole second base with Nick Serafino (Pittsburgh, Pa./Canon-McMillan) up to bat. The gutsy steal paid off as Serafino lined a single into right center to bring Lynn home.
Faris allowed one hit and no runs in the final two innings to secure the win.
The Cardinals will square off with Fairmont State at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex once again tomorrow, April 7. The first pitch of the MEC doubleheader, which was originally set for 1 p.m., is now set to begin at 11 a.m. due to the projected weather in the region.
