Wheeling, W. Va. - With weather altering the Wheeling University Softball team's (4-16, 2-0) plans, the Cardinals had to push their second Mountain East Conference (MEC) doubleheader back a few days. The team returns to action on Tuesday when they play that rescheduled doubleheader at Notre Dame College with first pitch scheduled for 1 PM. The Cardinals look to keep their small win streak going as they enter the contest having won each of their last three games and looking to keep their perfect conference record alive.
Last time out, the team took on MEC opponent Alderson Broaddus in their conference opener and walked away with a pair of victories. Game one saw the Cardinal's offense step up, scoring at least one run in six of the seven innings. They put up two runs in the first and kept the success going the rest of the afternoon as they came away with a 7-4 victory. Game two was controlled by the pitching staff as the Cardinals saw their first complete-game shutout effort of the season. They scored all of their runs in the middle innings and were able to hold on for the 3-0 victory. It is the first doubleheader sweep of the season for the team and marks the first time they have swept the conference opener since the 2017 season when they swept Notre Dame College.
The top performance of the day came from sophomore Randi Holder, who tossed the team's first complete-game shutout of the season. Holder was dominant throughout the day, allowing just four hits and walking three while striking out two batters. She allowed just two batters to reach scoring position on the day and only had multiple runners on base one time on the afternoon. Holder lowered her season ERA to 5.42 and is the Cardinal's leader in that category through 30.1 innings of work. Holder looks to be a continued leader for the pitching staff this season as she continues through her sophomore season.
On the offensive side, freshman Madison George continued her strong freshman campaign, combining to go 4-7 with four RBI across the two games. George's biggest performance came in game one, when she went 3-4 with a run scored and three RBI in the team's 7-3 victory. George gave the team the lead early, with two RBI in the first and added insurance later to help secure the victory. She added a 1-3 effort with an RBI in game two to bring her season average up to .400 with nine RBI, placing her first on the team in batting average and second in RBI. Junior Maddie Munoz continued her hot start as well, going 2-3 with an RBI and her MEC leading fourth triple of the season. She is right behind George, hitting .333 on the season and adds five RBI.
It is a big week of conference play for the Cardinals as not only will they be making up their game against Notre Dame College, but they are set for two more home games this coming weekend against Charleston and West Virginia State. After a slow start to preseason play, the Cardinals are looking to put that behind them as they take on their conference schedule. With their 2-0 start to the season, the Cardinals are one of just two MEC teams that enter play on Tuesday undefeated in conference play and they currently lead the MEC North by one game over Fairmont State. The Cardinals look to keep their success going as they try to keep hold of one of the top four spots in the conference.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Falcons will be meeting for the 36th and 37th times in program history on Tuesday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series with a record of 22-13. The Cardinal's record is actually better on the road against the Falcons than at home, with the team going 10-5 in 15 all-time road meetings. The Cardinals have won three of the last four meetings between the two teams and are averaging 4.31 runs per game in the all-time series.
In their most recent series, the Cardinals were able to sweep Notre Dame College at the end of April, winning the two contests by scores of 8-4 and 7-3. Former Cardinal Autumn Oehlstrom led the way, going 5-8 with a double, home run, and six RBI across the two games. Randi Holder threw a complete game in game one, allowing three runs, while Jamie Anderson threw 3.0 innings of one run ball in the second game.
The Details
First Pitch for Tuesday's game is scheduled for 2 PM at Normandy Field on the campus of Notre Dame College. You can watch the games live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
