Wheeling, W. Va. - The last time the Wheeling University Softball team (9-18, 2-10) took the field at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex was back on March 20th when they battled Alderson Broaddus in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. They will return home for the first time in about a month on Sunday when they host Glenville State at 2 PM. The Cardinals are looking to get back in the win column for the first time since that March 20th game as they come back in front of their home fans.
The last time on the diamond Wheeling's softball team lost both games in a doubleheader to Frostburg State University. In the first game of the doubleheader the Cardinals were able to put together seven hits as a team and scored three runs in the top of the seventh to make it a game again. In game two Wheeling fell to Frostburg 12-1 and was scoreless at the end of the first inning. Shortly after the Bobcats would pick up their offense and take a quick 3-0 lead in the second. The Cardinals were able to make it out the inning without giving up more points. Things would continue to go the Bobcats' way in the third inning as they would finish with a 9-0 lead.
It was a milestone day for sophomore Makie Paxson as she was able to take one out the park for her first collegiate home run to give the Cardinals offense some points in the seventh inning and started a three-run rally. Cassie Roman had a strong day as well, going 2-4 along with an RBI and was the only Cardinal to pick up a multi-hit game in the effort. Mackie Paxson and Autum Oehlstorm each went 1-2 and contributed with some points for the Cardinals.
Wheeling was able to get on the board in the top of the fourth as Mia Smallwood hit her first home run of the season. This would be the only run for the Cardinals as Frostburg would score 12 in the game and won the night 12-1. Smallwood led the offense going 1-2 with that home run Taylor Hradek and Cassi Roman picked up the other two hits for the Cardinals to round out the day.
Inclement weather has not been kind to the Cardinals here in April as they have been forced to move several games due to the wet conditions. Their doubleheader against West Liberty earlier in the week was pushed to April 27th due to wet conditions and their weekend opener against Concord on Saturday was pushed to Monday. The Cardinals are hoping that a chance back on their home field will be enough to bring that magic back and get them back in the win column for the first time since March 20th.
The Matchup:
Glenville State: The Cardinals and Pioneers will be meeting for the 18th time in program history, with Wheeling holding the overall advantage at 10-7 in those games. The last time these two faced each other was last April when Glenville took the victory 5-1. In this game there was not much offense from the Cardinals until Autum Oehlstorm homered in the fourth to put a run on the board for Wheeling. A few keys to victory for the Cardinals will be the offense from Paxson and Oehlstrom to give them some momentum. Also getting out of innings will be key. The quicker the Cardinals can come out of innings the better it will be for their offense.
Concord: The Cardinals and Mountain Lions will be meeting for the 20th time in team history with Wheeling holding a 7-12 record in those first 19 games. In the last matchup Concord took the 8-0 victory. Wheeling is looking to take the victory in both matchups against the Mountain Lions to push them back in the middle of the conference in the MEC (Moutain East Conference). A key to victory in this matchup Wheeling is going to need strong contributions from their bullpen to slow down Concord's offense. A victory against Concord will give Wheeling momentum to finish the season strong.
The Details
First pitch for Sunday's doubleheader against Glenville State is scheduled for 2 PM at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
