WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. (March 13) – The Wheeling University softball team was dealt a pair of non-conference losses by West Liberty Saturday afternoon.
Although the two both play in the Mountain East Conference (MEC), the games will not count towards the conference standings.
THE MATCHUPS
- GAME 1 FINAL: West Liberty 5, Wheeling 3
- GAME 2 FINAL: West Liberty 10, Wheeling 4
- Location: West Liberty Complex | West Liberty, West Virginia
- Records: Wheeling 1-5 | West Liberty 4-4
HOW IT HAPPENED in Game 1
- The game was scoreless until the third inning. West Liberty got a runs in both the third and fourth innings to make the score 2-0.
- Wheeling tied the game up when sophomore Taylor Hradek (Perry, Ohio/Perry) took a two-strike, two-out pitch to right-center field to plate two runs and tie the game up in the fifth.
- West Liberty countered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to re-establish a 5-2 lead.
- The Cardinals inched closer in the sixth with a run on a RBI-double by redshirt-freshman Jenee Brodeur (San Diego, Calif./Clairemont), but were unable to get any closer.
GAME NOTES
- Broduer (0-2) took the loss after yielding five runs (one earned) on five hits.
- Junior Hadley Bennett (Warren, Utah/Fremont) connected on a pair of hits to lead the offense.
HOW IT HAPPENED in Game 2
- An early deficit was too much to overcome in a 10-4 loss in game two.
- West Liberty scored five in the first and runs in the second and third innings to establish an 8-0 lead.
- The Cardinals battled off the run-rule by plating two runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
- West Liberty did not allow Wheeling to get any closer and secured the win and sweep.
GAME NOTES
- Freshman pitcher Aubrie Lafferty (Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln) was charged with the loss. She allowed six runs (three earned) in two innings of work.
- Hradek, sophomore Brooke Webber (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) and freshman Anna Florczak (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) each had two hits in the loss.
UP NEXT
- The Cardinals will play again on Lisa's Field at the I-470 Complex on Thursday, March 11 against Salem in another non-conference doubleheader.
- The first game is currently slated to start at 3 p.m.