Wheeling, W. Va. - Two weeks ago, the Wheeling University Softball team (2-0, 0-0) kicked off their 2022 season with a bang when they swept Salem University in a doubleheader. They now look to take their momentum on the road with them as they head to Owensboro, Kentucky for a six-game weekend set at the Blue Bridge Battle. They will spread the six games out over three days and will test themselves against some of the toughest competition in NCAA Division II Softball.

In their season-opening doubleheader, the Cardinals did it all as they hit the ball well and had strong pitching performances in the circle. Game one saw them take down Salem 7-3, pounding out 10 hits on their way to the win. Junior Gina Fogle hit a big home run to tie the game at 3-3 and a four-run top of the sixth inning was enough to lift their team to victory. In game two, it was the pitching that took over as the Cardinals did not surrender a hit until the sixth inning of the game and a grand slam from sophomore Cassie Feyh helped Wheeling pick up an 8-0 victory to finish the afternoon.

The biggest performance of the day came inside the circle from sophomore pitcher Aubrie Lafferty, who earned her first win of the season. Lafferty had a no-hitter going through the first five innings of the game, allowing just two base runners total on an error and a fielder's choice. She got into trouble in the sixth but had two clutch fielder's choices to secure the shutout and the sweep for Wheeling. Overall, the right-hander through six shutout innings while walking just one batter and striking out five to earn her first win of the season. She earned the Mountain East Conference Pitcher of the Week for her efforts and got her season started strong.

On the offensive side of the ball, Wheeling had some big performances, but none bigger than Fogle, who earned the MEC's Softball Player of the Week. Fogle combined to go 4-8 (.500) with a home run and three RBI in the sweep. All three RBI came in game one as the junior catcher got her season started strong. Brooke Slomkowski finished right behind her with a .428 batting average over the weekend (3-7) with two RBI while Cassie Feyh added her first home run of the year with the Grand Slam and drove in four runs.

The Cardinals now head down to Owensboro, Kentucky where they will face some of the stiffest competition that they have had to face this season. They open things up on Friday against the University of Southern Indiana and Ashland, take on University of Illinois Springfield and University of Indianapolis on Saturday, and round out the weekend against Missouri S&T and Ohio Dominican on Sunday. Head Coach Caressa DeRossett is looking for her team to go out and compete and feels confident that her team is up to the challenge.

The Matchups

University of Southern Indiana: The Cardinals and Screaming Eagles will be meeting for the first time in program history to kick things off on Friday. USI has played 12 games so far this season and has gone 8-4 in those contests with wins over Carson-Newman, Kentucky Wesleyan, and Ferris State University. Wheeling looks to keep their offense going and gain the advantage in the all-time matchup with the Screaming Eagles.

Ashland: The Cardinals and Eagles will be meeting for the eighth time in program history on Friday, with Wheeling looking for their first win. The Cardinals have gone 0-7 in seven previous matchups with Ashland and are averaging 1.5 runs per game. Their last game came on March 14th, 2019 in a game that Ashland would win 2-0 with former Cardinal Alaina York leading the way going 1-1 with a sacrifice hit.

University of Illinois Springfield: The Cardinals and Prarie Stars will be meeting for the first time in program history on Saturday. UIS has started the 2022 season on a tear, going 6-1 in their first seven games. Wheeling is one of three MEC teams that UIS will face at the Blue Bridge Battle and the Cardinals are looking to represent the conference well in the game.

University of Indianapolis: The Cardinals and Greyhounds will meet for the fourth time in program history on Saturday with Wheeling looking for their first win. The Cardinals are 0-3 in the previous three meetings and the teams are meeting for the first time since 2016. In their last game, Wheeling fell 6-1 with their only run coming on an RBI triple by former Cardinal Dana Achille.
Missouri S&T: The Cardinals and Miners will be meeting for the first time in program history on Sunday. The Miners are 4-2 in their first six games of the season with wins coming over Wisconsin Parkisde, Tiffin, and Kentucky Wesleyan. The Cardinals look to start the all-time matchup on the right foot as they begin the final day of the Blue Bridge Battle.

Ohio Dominican University: The Cardinals and Panthers will be meeting for the third time in team history with Wheeling looking for their first win. Ohio Dominican has won each of the previous two matchups, but the two teams have not met since the 2016 season. In their last meeting, the Panthers swept a doubleheader as former Cardinal Molly Welsh led the way going 3-3 in game one and former Cardinal Kelsi Thompson led game two going 1-3.

The Details

The Blue Bridge Battle Begins on Friday when Wheeling plays a doubleheader against The University of Southern Indiana at 10 AM followed by Ashland at 12 PM. You can follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.