Wheeling, W. Va. - With the season coming down to its final two weeks for the Wheeling University Softball team (9-26, 2-18) things are coming down to the wire. They open their crosstown rivalry with West Liberty University on Wednesday at the J.B. Chambers I-470 complex with first pitch scheduled for 3 PM. It will be the team's first full home game since March 20th, aside from a four-inning rain shortened game two weeks ago. With 12 games remaining on the schedule, Wheeling is looking to rack up some wins and head into the off-season with some momentum.
The last time out for Wheeling, they were on the road for a back-to-back doubleheader trip with West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins. Unfortunately, the Cardinals dropped all four games of that weekend set, falling to the Bobcats by scores of 7-1 and 6-3 and falling to the Senators 7-0 and 10-1. Overall, the Cardinals dropped to 2-18 on the season in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play and are looking to put some wins together this weekend. It will be the final time that the Cardinals get to play in front of their home fans as we honor this year's senior class in their final collegiate home games.
Leading the way for the Cardinals on the weekend were Alisa Shelt and Brooke Slomkowski, each having big games. Slomkowski played in the second game of the Wesleyan doubleheader and went 2-3 with two RBI in the game. However, those were the only hits she would get throughout the weekend and finished 2-9 on the weekend. Shelt had a similarly good game in that second game against Wesleyan, finishing 2-3 with a run scored. She would lead the way for the Cardinals going 2-8 on the weekend as she has come around over the last several doubleheaders.
Heading into the final two weeks of play, the Cardinals have some milestones on the horizon that they will be watching out for. Senior Taylor Hradek enters play Wednesday with 99 career hits, needing just one more knock to enter her into the 100 hits club. Right behind her is junior Gina Fogle, who is also knocking on the door of the 100 hits club, needing just 14 to enter her into the category. Rounding out the group is junior Madison Macy, who is just 26 strikeouts away from 100 for her career. With 12 games remaining, all three milestones are quite attainable, and the girls will look to write their names into Wheeling Softball history.
While the Cardinals are pretty much out of the MEC playoff picture, they have a big chance to play spoiler for some of the top contenders over the final two weeks of the season. Of their 12 remaining games, eight come against the three teams currently sitting in playoff contention. Two more of those games come against Notre Dame College, who sits 3.5 games out of a playoff spot, so Wheeling has a chance to scramble up the race for the MEC Championship. There is exciting softball left to play over these two weeks and the Cardinals are hoping for good weather to get in the action.
The Matchup
Wednesday will mark the 25th all-time meeting between the Cardinals and Hilltoppers, with Wheeling holding the all-time record at 19-15. When the teams meet at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex, the Cardinals hold a tighter 9-7 record against West Liberty. Wheeling is averaging 3.97 runs per game against West Liberty all-time and will be looking for their first win over the Hilltoppers since April 18th, 2018.
In the most recent doubleheader between the two teams, West Liberty won both games by scores of 3-0 and 4-3 on the hilltop. Game one saw the Cardinals get just three hits, two of which came from Cassi Roman, while game two was once again led by Roman, who went 1-2 with a walk and two RBI. Gina Fogle also added two hits and a walk in the game to round out the Cardinals attack.
The Details
First pitch for Wednesday's doubleheader against West Liberty is scheduled for 3 PM at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Softball Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
