Washington, PA. - The Wheeling University Baseball team (1-8, 0-0) wrapped up their three-game series with California University of Pennsylvania (CAL-U) on Tuesday at Wild Things Park. After taking the lead early, the Cardinals surrendered five runs in the bottom of the sixth as they fell to the Vulcans 8-4 and took a three-game sweep. The Cardinals got on the board early but were unable to hold on for the win.
Johendry Colmenares made his first start of the season and was on fire early on in the game as he held the Vulcans off the board for the first two innings. He set CAL-U down 1-2-3 in the first inning and followed it up with another 1-2-3 second where he struck out one and kept the ball on the ground. The first base runner of the game came in the bottom of the third when a Wheeling error allowed the leadoff man to reach, and he would eventually come around to score to give the Vulcans a 1-0 lead. Even with the runs, Colmenares allowed just one hit through 3.0 innings of work and was about to be rewarded for his efforts on the mound.
Jack Skantze got the top of the fourth started with a single and would advance to second on a fielding error that allowed Blake Vandiver to reach. Both runners stole a base and just like that Wheeling had runners at the corners with one out. Skantze would come home to score on a wild pitch one batter later and the game was knotted up at 1-1. J.R. Heavilin would pick up the other runner that same at-bat when he lined an RBI double down the right field line to give Wheeling their first lead of the series at 2-1. The final run would come in when Jacob Murray singled home Heavilin and after three and a half innings, the score sat at 3-1 in favor of Wheeling. Colmenares responded with a 1-2-3 fourth inning, and things were looking to go Wheeling's way early on.
The Vulcans added on a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 3-2 game, but things would get away from Wheeling in the bottom of the sixth. CAL-U tacked on five runs on five hits, with the big blow being a three-RBI triple by CAL-U's Louden Conte. CAL-U took a 7-3 lead, and it spelled the end of the afternoon for Colmenares. Overall, it was a strong outing for Colmenares, who went 5.0 innings allowing seven runs, five earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out two. Dominic Parker-McDonald came in to get the final three outs and sent Wheeling back to the bat racks.
Wheeling would add a run in the top of the eighth with two outs after Vandiver sent a triple down the left field line. Riley Cameron would follow him up, reaching on an error that allowed Vandiver to score and brought the game to 7-4. However, the Vulcans added another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, and the Cardinals followed with a 1-2-3 ninth to bring the game to its 8-4 final score. As a team, Wheeling finished the afternoon with four hits as they took the sweep at the hands of the Vulcans.
All four hits on the day came from four different Cardinals players with Jack Skantze, Blake Vandiver, J.R. Heavilin, and Jacob Murray picking up the four hits. Heavilin and Murray each added RBI for the Cardinals while Vandiver led the team with two runs scored. On the mound, Dominic Parker-McDonald followed Colmenares with a strong relief outing, going 2.0 scoreless innings while striking out a batter, and Jake Rife followed him allowing a run on three hits in his inning of work. The Cardinals have two more non-conference stretches before they open Mountain East Conference (MEC) play on March 19th against Concord.
The Wheeling University Baseball team will return to action this Friday. March 4th, when they head to Salem, West Virginia for three games. Their opener is against Mercyhurst with first pitch at 5 PM.
