Wheeling, W. Va. - After playing their first six games of the season on the road, the Wheeling University Softball team (0-6, 0-0) will experience the comforts of home as they play their 2023 home opener. They will be facing one of the top teams in the central region as they take on the University of Indianapolis on Friday morning, with first pitch at 10 AM. The Cardinals will be looking for their first win of the season before they head down to the sunshine state for a week long set.
Last time out, the Cardinals headed down to Glenville, West Virginia as they battled Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) foe IUP in doubleheader action. In both games, the pitching faltered early, but the offense was able to battle back in the game. Game one saw Wheeling drop an 8-3 contest, before they fell in game two in a much closer 5-2 game. The Cardinals had the lead for a half inning in the second game of the doubleheader, but in the end they couldn't hold the Crimson Hawks as they would drop to 0-6 on the season.
Leading the way for the Cardinals offense in the early going has been senior Natalie Stoner, who enters play on Friday with a .438 batting average. She had a big game in the second half of the doubleheader with IUP, picking up her second multi-hit game of the season with both of those hits being doubles. She has recorded at least one hit in five of her six games played this season and looks to be a spark for the Cardinals at the top of the lineup. Newcomer Jenna Hollerich has also been off to a fast start, beginning her career with a .385 average (5-13) over her first 13 at-bats. Both girls have been strong for the team this season and looks to give them a spark in this doubleheader.
In the circle, the Cardinals have been struggling to find consistency, but one of their leaders this season has been junior Jamie Anderson. Anderson leads the Cardinals with three appearances this season, and is boasting a 2.48 ERA through her first 14.2 innings of work. Anderson has been the victim of some bad luck this season, as of her 16 runs allowed only five have been earned. Freshman Tessa Wise has also been strong through her first two starts, posting a team-best 0.95 ERA through 7.1 innings of work. She made a big impact in her collegiate debut, throwing 6.1 innings of one run ball and looks to build off of it during the year.
The Cardinals continue their rigorous non-conference schedule as they take on one of the best teams in the country. It will be the final doubleheader before the team heads down to Winterville, Florida for their annual spring trip. Last season, the Cardinals had their best showing in Florida in recent history, winning two of their eight contests and look to build on that again. They still have six doubleheaders before they jump into their MEC schedule at the end of March. Wheeling is looking to build momentum as they try and contend for an MEC playoff spot.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Greyhounds are meeting for the fourth time in program history on Friday and UINDY leads the all-time series at 4-0. It will be the second neutral site meeting between the two teams, with Wheeling averaging 1.2 runs per game in the previous four meetings. This will be their first meeting in Wheeling, as the Cardinals try to earn the first win of the series.
Last time the two teams played was last season when they met for one game in Owensboro, Kentucky and UINDY would win 13-2. Cassie Feyh would lead the way for the Cardinals, going 2-3 in the game Makie Paxson and former Cardinal Taylor Hradek each finished with an RBI on the day.
The Details
First pitch for Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 10 AM at The Highlands Sports Complex indoor field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
