Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Softball team (8-9, 1-1) opened up Mountain East Conference (MEC) play with doubleheader action on Sunday against Notre Dame College at the J.B. Chambers Softball Complex. They split the two games and brought the bats, scoring a come from behind 7-6 victory in game one before falling to the Falcons 18-11 in the second game of the day. 

Game One Wheeling 7, Notre Dame 6 

After an early outburst by both teams in the first, it was a back and forth affair in the first game of the day for the Cardinals. However, they entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 6-5 and looking for a way to push that extra run across to win the game. Taylor Hradek singled to start the inning, but was caught stealing for the first out, and Makie Paxson picked her up with a one-out double to give Wheeling a runner in scoring position. That was enough as Brooke Slomkowski pushed a single to center scoring Paxson and tying the game at 6-6. Gina Fogle then stepped in and won the game with a walk-off RBI double to give Wheeling a big boost as they won 7-6. 

For Fogle, it was her third hit of the day as she finished 3-4 with two doubles and a team-high three RBI in the game one win. Autumn Oehlstrom was right behind her, finishing 2-3 with two doubles and two RBI in what was a big boost for the Cardinals. The Cardinals had four players finish with multi-hit games with Hradek and Paxson pacing the top of the lineup with two hits each in the win.  

Al lot of the game one offense came in the first inning with the teams combining for seven first-inning runs. Notre Dame started the scoring with three in the top of the inning, but Wheeling battled back to take the lead in the bottom half. Hradek and Paxson each reached to start the inning, and Fogle began her big day with an RBI double that brought home Hradek and made it a 3-1 game. Maddie Munoz would be next and drove in a run on an RBI single before Autumn Oehlstrom added a two RBI double that put Wheeling ahead 4-3 after one. The Falcons would tie the game in the top of the second and took the lead in the top of the third on a home run that made it 5-4. 

The Cardinals were back on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Taylor Hradek started things with a double and was driven home on a sacrifice fly by Brooke Slomkowski. Notre Dame added another run in the top of the seventh to make it a 6-5 game, setting up the late inning framatics that led Wheeling to their first conference win of the season. 

Game Two: Notre Dame 18, Wheeling 11with multi-hit games  

Game two saw both offenses bring the bats in a game where Wheeling tried to go swing for swing with the potent Falcons lineup. Madison Macy got the start for Wheeling and things didn't go her way early on as Notre Dame put up six first inning runs. With the big blows being a three-run home run and a two-run double. Wheeling was unable to get on the board in the bottom of the first and the Falcons added two more in the second to make it an 8-0 game. However, the Wheeling bats got going in the bottom of the second as they began their fight back into the game. 

Gina Fogle singled the start the inning and a one-out fielder's choice by Autumn Oehlstrom moved runners to second and third with one out. Anna Florczak walked to load the bases, and two batters later the Cardinals were on the board with a single by Cassi Roman that moved runners station to station. Taylor Hradek would follow and deposited a two RBI single to center that brought home two more runs and cut the Wheeling deficit to 8-3. The inning would end there, but Notre Dame wasn't done as they came back with five runs in the top of the third and it turned into a 13-3 game. 

Wheeling looked to battle back in the bottom of the third and would get runners on after Maddie Munoz hit a one-out single and Oehlstrom reached on another fielder's choice to put two on and one out. Mia Smallwood pinch hit and drew a walk to load the bases before Roman came through once again with a two RBI single, giving her three RBI on the day, and making it a 13-5 game. The Cardinals big inning would come in the fourth when they put up a four spot to cut the Notre Dame deficit to four. Cassie Feyh got things started when she stepped to the plate with one out and lifted a solo home run to center to make it a 13-6 affair. 

The Cardinals would get down to two outs when Maddie Munoz singled to keep the game alive. Oehlstrom would step in and put the bat on the ball for the third time and got her first hit when she lifted a two-run home run to left that made it a 13-8 game. The final run of the inning came home on a home run by Anna Florczak and the Cardinals were right back in the game at 13-9. Neither team scored in the fifth and Wheeling would make it a three-run game putting another run up in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and a runner on second, Roman came through again with her fourth RBI of the day and made it a 13-10 game heading into the seventh. 

However, the Falcons would put the game out of reach with a five-spot in the top of the seventh and Wheeling entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 18-10. They would manage to get a run back on an RBI groundout by Gina Fogle, but the game would come to an end with Wheeling falling 18-11. Roman led the way for the Cardinals in game two, going 3-4 with four RBI as she continues to expand on her MEC leading RBI mark. The Cardinals had four players end with multi-hit games and got home runs from Autumn Oehlstrom, Cassie Feyh, and Anna Florczak in the loss. 

The Wheeling University Softball team is back in action on Monday when they take on Alderson Broaddus in doubleheader action. Game one will begin at 3 PM followed by game two at 5 PM.