Greensburg, PA. – Spring has sprung for the Wheeling University Softball team (0-2, 0-0) as they opened the 2023 season on Tuesday in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The Cardinals battled throughout the afternoon, but fell in doubleheader action against Seton Hill, dropping game one 7-0 and falling 12-3 in the second game of the doubleheader. It was a big test for the team to start the year as they matched up against a team that went to the NCAA DII Softball World Series.

Game One: Seton Hill 7, Wheeling 0

The first game of the 2023 season cams with high expectations as Maria Clark made her collegiate debut in the circle and four other Cardinals making their Wheeling debut in the lineup. The battle starters right from the get-go as Candela Garcia Cabedo stepped in to lead off the game. She would battle to a full count and fouled off some tough pitches in what was a nine pitch at-bat. The first Cardinal base runner came two batters later when Cassie Feyh reached on a Fielder's Choice, however, she was stranded to end the inning. Seton Hill came up in the bottom half of the first, and brought home two runs in the bottom of the first. Two more runs came in in the bottom of the second and after two innings Wheeling was trailing 4-0. The first Cardinal hit of the season came courtesy of Madison George as she doubled with one out in the third, but after three and a half the Cardinals still trailed 4-0.

 After a tough first two innings, Clark settled down in the third for her first scoreless inning of the day. After allowing the leadoff batter to reach, Clark would get a groundout and a caught stealing to put nobody on with two outs. She allowed the next two batters to reach but got out of a jam with a groundout that would strand runners on second and third. In the top of the fourth, the Cardinals responded by loading the bases with one out. Jenna Hollerich would step in and drop down a bunt, but Abby Bumbico would be thrown out at home to leave the bases loaded with two outs. That would bring George to the plate and she would hit the ball hard but right at the left fielder to end the inning. Seton Hill added three more runs in the bottom.of the fourth and ended Clark's day in the circle. The freshman ended up throwing 3.2 innings of work, allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven hits while walking five.

Head Coach Sara Pelegreen would then turn to sophomore Randi Holder, who came in and held Seton Hill at bay. She came on with two on and  two outs and, after two run scoring wild pitches, came back and got a big strikeout to end the inning. Holder added two more scoreless innings to her day, and had a solid debut in relief. She finished with 2.1 innings on one hit while walking one and striking out two. The Cardinals went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh and the game came to an end as the Cardinals fell 7-0.

The Cardinals finished with five hits on the day by five different players as they opened up the season. Sophomore Makie Paxson and senior Natalie Stoner led the way as both players finished 1-2 on the day. Madison George, Mia Smallwood, and Cassie Feyh picked up the other three hits, with all three going 1-3. The Cardinals looked to bounce back as they headed into game two of the day.

Game Two: Seton Hill 12, Wheeling 3 (5 Inn)

Game two started in similar fashion to game one, with Seton Hill taking the lead in the bottom of the first. Jamie Anderson would get the start in game two, and fell victim to defensive mistakes that Seton Hill pounced on. Of the four first inning runs allowed by Anderson, all were unearned, but the Cardinals headed into the second inning trailing 4-0. The Cardinals would once again have to battle back and they would begin to do just that in the top of the third. Jenna Hollerich was hit by a pitch to start the inning before Cabedo singled and Paxson texted on a Fielder's Choice to load the bases with nobody out. Kelsi Green would drive in the first run of the day on an RBI groundout to make it a 4-1 game. A wild pitch would bring home another run for the Cardinals before a George groundout brought home the third run of the inning to make it a 4-3 game.

After the rough first inning, Anderson began to settle in in the circle, retiring seven straight batters over 2.1 innings of work. She got one strikeout during the run and induced a lot of soft contact as she helped keep Wheeling in the game. After retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the fourth, Anderson would be tagged for her first earned run of the afternoon and the score would move to 5-3 in favor of Seton Hill. A Paxson single would account for the Cardinals only offense in the top of the fifth and Anderson would come out once again for the bottom of the fifth. Two errors behind her would lead to two more unearned runs and eventually led to her day coming to an end. Anderson would end up going 4.1 innings allowing nine runs, one earned, while walking two and striking out two. It was a good start to the season for the Junior as she looks to keep it up as the year goes on.

Abby Bumbico would come in to relieve Anderson and allowed a walk and a single to start her day that made it an 8-3 affair. That would bring Seton Hill's Abby Smearman to the plate and she ended the game with a grand slam that made it 12-3. With the eight run rule having been reached in the bottom.ig the fifth, the game would end with that 12-3 score as Wheeling would suffer the doubleheader sweep to start the season.

In game two, the Cardinals finished with four hits and once again they were spread out between four different players. Stoner was once again among the team leaders on offense, going 1-2 on the day while Garcia picked up her first Wheeling hit while going 1-2 with a run scored. Paxson and Smallwood picked up the final two hits of the day, with Paxson going 1-3 with a run scored and Smallwood adding a 1-2 day.

The Wheeling University Softball team will return to action on Thursday, February 16th, when they take on Salem in doubleheader action beginning at 1 PM.