Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Softball team (9-10, 2-2) opened Mountain East Conference (MEC) play last weekend as they split their doubleheaders with both Notre Dame College and Alderson Broaddus. They now get set to face their first MEC South Division opponent of the season when they hit the road Friday to take on The University of Charleston. Game one is set for 3 PM followed by the second game at 5 PM.
This past Monday Wheeling split their double header against Alderson Broaddus. The first matchup is where the Cardinals offense shined as they contributed 14 hits as a team which earned them nine runs to the Battlers two. A good portion of the Cardinals' offense came from Cassie Roman and Cassie Feyh as they both came through and hit home runs to build a strong lead for Wheeling. As a team Wheeling put together nine total RBI's which played a key part in the nine total runs scored. Defensively the Cardinals held Alderson Broaddus to seven total hits and only allowed them to put together two RBI's.
After taking the first double header the Cardinals fell short in the second losing twelve to five. In the second matchup a big key was allowing the Battlers to put together fifteen total hits and twelve runs. A difference between the two games was the errors in the first game the Cardinals allowed two whereas in the second they allowed four which set up runs for the Battlers. The Cardinals ended the weekend 2-2 and look to sweep their first conference doubleheader of the season this time around.
Leading the offensive effort over the weekend was Gina Fogle, who now leads the MEC in doubles with nine this season. Her big moment came in the first game of the weekend against Notre Dame College when she hit a walk-off double that gave Wheeling a 7-6 win. Overall, Fogle went 8-15 (.533) with four RBI in the four games. Autumn Oehlstrom was another force in the Wheeling lineup and leads the team with a .462 batting average this season. She was 7-13 (.538) with a home run and nine RBI over the four-game stretch.
Wheeling now looks ahead to their first MEC South Opponent of the season in Charleston as they look to build off last week's performance. The offense is hitting all cylinders and scored seven or more runs in three of their four games over the weekend. With a goal of averaging seven runs per game, the team is currently just under that mark with an average of 5.7 runs per game through their first 19 games of the season. They look to continue to score while also working their pitching into the mix as they compete for a spot in the MEC playoffs.
The Matchup
The next time the Cardinals will face off against the Golden Eagles of Charleston the last time these two teams faced off was last April as the Cardinals won three to one. In the matchup Wheeling put together seven hits and did not give up any errors which was key to victory. They also got strong contributions from multiple players in the hitting department, but Autum Oehlstorm stood out as she had two hits, one RBI and a home run to help propel the Cardinals offense. Also, defensively Wheeling was on point even though they gave up six hits they were able to get out of most innings by only allowing one run. The Cardinals look to have the same outcome in this next contest to help boost their conference and overall record.
The Details
First Pitch for Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 3 PM on the campus of the University of Charleston. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE.
