Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Wheeling, W. Va. – After sweeping West Virginia State yesterday, the Wheeling University Softball team (6-20, 4-4) returned to the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex on Monday to host the University of Charleston. This time, the Cardinals were the ones who were swept as they lost a pair of games to the Golden Eagles where offense ruled the day. Charleston picked up a mercy-rule victory in game one that saw them win 11-0 before the team scored a combined 29 runs in game two as Charleston won 18-11.

Game One: Charleston 11, Wheeling 0

Coming off the high of a sweep from the night before, the Cardinals were looking to keep that momentum going in the first game of the day. Tessa Wise would get the start for the Cardinals, and worked her way through a clean first inning. She allowed the Golden Eagles to load the bases, but came back and got a groundout to keep Charleston off the board and bring Wheeling to the plate in the bottom of the first. Makie Paxson would give the Cardinals their first base runners with a leadoff single, but she would be stranded there as the next three batters were retired. It would sit at 0-0 after one inning of play, but it wouldn't take long for the Golden Eagles to get on the board.

Charleston added five runs in the top of the second and followed that with four more runs in the top of the third and quickly moved things to a 9-0 lead after three innings and the mercy rule was in danger of being inacted. After going 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second, the Cardinals put together one of their biggest threats of the day in the third after Avonikah Salas kicked things off with a single. She would move to second on a Wild Pitch and headed to third on a groundout to put a runner at third with one out. However, the next two Cardinals were retired and with three innings in the books it was a 9-0 lead for the Golden Eagles. They would add two more runs in the top of the fourth before relief pitcher Maria Clark had the second scoreless inning of the game in the top of the fifth. However, the mercy rule would be inacted as Charleston won 11-0.

The two Cardinal hits on the day came courtesy of Makie Paxson and Avonikah Salas as the Cardinals offense couldn't get going. For Salas, it was her first collegiate hit when she reached in the bottom of the third. The Cardinals would look to bounce back in game two of the day.

Game Two: Charleston 18, Wheeling 11

The second game of the day looked vastly different for the Cardinals as they got their bats going. After Charleston got on the board in the top of the first, the Cardinals started the bottom half with a walk courtesy of Makie Paxson. Two batters later, Madison George stepped in and brought her home with an RBI single that scored Paxson and tied the game at 1-1. However, the Golden Eagles wouldn't be held down for long as they put a six-spot up in the top of the second to make it a 7-1 Charleston lead. After being held off the board in the secknd the Cardinals would return the favor, holding Charleston to their 7-1 lead in the top of the third. That's when the Cardinals began to fight back and make it a game again.

Maddie Munoz reached on an error to start the inning but stayed at first with two outs. Anna Florczak was hit by a pitch and the Cardinals would have an opportunity with a runner in scoring position and two outs. Jenna Hollerich would step in and cleared the bases with her first collegiate home run as she sent a three-run shot to center to make it a 7-4 game. Cassie Feyh would follow with a pinch hit single and was ran for by Natalie Stoner. Stoner stole second and came home when Leah Klockowski reached on an error. It would be a 7-5 game after three and the Cardinals were right back in business. Jamie Anderson kept things going with another scoreless innings and was the only one to keep the Golden Eagles at bay, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings.

While Anderson was keeping Charleston off the board, the Cardinals offense rewarded her with another run in the bottom of the fourth. Munoz would reach on a one-out single and George followed her up with a single of her own to move runners to first and third with one out. Brooke Slomkowski then stepped in and made it a one-run game with an RBI single that scored Munoz and brought it to a 7-6 game after four innings. Charleston would come back with a run in the top of the fifth with another run to make it an 8-6 game and held Wheeling off the board in the bottom half. With the innings ticking away, Wheeling stepped up in the bottom of the sixth and got back at it.

Maddie Munoz singled to start the inning and Kelsi Green followed with a pinch hit single to move runners to first and second. Slomkowski stepped up once again and once again came through with an RBI single as the Cardinals were down 8-7. After Kylea Chapple pinch ran for Slomkowski, and Anna Florczak reached on an error to load the bases. That brought Hollerich back to the plate and she once again came through with a two RBI double that brought home Chappel and Green to make it a 9-8 Wheeling lead, their first of the night. That lead wouldn't stand long as the Golden Eagles put up a 10-spot in the top of the seventh and it turned into an 18-9 Charleston lead. Wheeling had one more shot in the bottom of the seventh. Hollerich would come through with another two-RBI double, giving her seven on the day, and wrapping up an 18-11 loss.

Jenna Hollerich led the way for the Cardinals, finishing 4-5 with two doubles, a home run, and seven RBI in the game. It was the most RBI in a single game for any player since the 2012 season. Brooke Slomkowski added a 2-3 day with two RBI whole Leah Klockowski and Madison George each drove in runs to round out the day.

The Wheeling University Softball team returns to action when they take on West Liberty on Wednesday in "The Battle for Wheeling" with first pitch scheduled for 3 PM.