Wheeling, W. Va. – After splitting "The Battle for Wheeling" in the winter, Wheeling University and West Liberty University renewed their rivalry for the spring season on Wednesday afternoon. The Wheeling University Softball team (6-22, 4-6) took on the Hilltoppers for the first time this season and ended up being swept in the two games. The Cardinals tried to mount late inning comebacks in both games, but both comebacks fell short as they dropped game one 6-2 followed by a 5-1 loss in Game Two.
Game One:
West Liberty 6,
Wheeling 2
The Cardinals started game one of the rivalry match by sending their leader to the circle in junior
Jamie Anderson. Anderson was strong early on, being tagged for a run in the first, but was able to work her way out of a runner in scoring position to keep it a 1-0 West Liberty lead.
Maddie Munoz got to scoring position thanks to a one-out double in the bottom half of the inning, but it was still a 1-0 Hilltopper lead after one. Anderson was back for her first scoreless inning of the afternoon in the top of the second, working around a leadoff single to keep the Hilltoppers off the board. However, West Liberty would extend their lead with two more runs in the top of the third and led 3-0 after three innings of play.
Anderson allowed two more runs in the fourth inning and West Liberty moved their lead to 5-0, bringing Anderson's day to an end. The junior ended up lasting 4.0 innings allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out two.
Abby Bumbico would come in in relief for the fifth and delivered with a scoreless inning that brought Wheeling back to the plate. They would get on the board for the first time in the bottom of the sixth after
Madison George started the inning with a leadoff double.
Kelsi Green would pinch run and, after a
Brooke Slomkowski single, Bumbico souldUb to put runners at the corners with nobody out. The Cardinals would manufacture some offense to get in the board as Bumbico stole second and Green came home to make it a 6-1 game.
Jenna Hollerich would ground out to move Bumbico to third, and she would come home on a
Natalie Stoner sacrifice bunt that made it a 6-2 game. In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals would get two runners on, but couldn't bring anyone home as they ended up falling to the Hilltoppers 6-2.
Maddie Munoz led the way for the Cardinals, going 2-4, while
Natalie Stoner drove in a run.
Kelsi Green and
Abby Bumbico each had a run scored while Bumbico pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in the circle. The Cardinals looked for their first split of the year in game two as they tried to get one back.
Game Two: West Liberty 5, Wheeling 1
In game two, the Cardinals went to sophomore
Randi Holder, who was the team leader in ERA entering the day. Holder was strong early, keeping the Hilltoppers off the board with a 1-2-3 first inning. However, it didn't take long for West Liberty to get back on the board as a two-out two-RBI single from Rosnik made it a 2-0 Hilltoppers advantage. Another run in the top of the third and two more runs in the fifth made it once again a 5-0 West Liberty advantage after five innings of play. Holder survived the ups and downs in the circle, and managed to keep the Cardinals within striking distance finishing our her third game of the season. She threw 7.0 innings allowing five runs, four earned, on 11 hits while walking one and striking out eight.
The Cardinals were held off the board until the bottom of the seventh as they tried to mount another comeback.
Sarah Florczak would pinch hit to start the inning and reached base on an error to give the Cardinals some life.
Kelsi Green pinch ran and stole second to get a runner in scoring position with nobody out. Kylea Chappel grounded out to move Green to third and an
Anna Florczak groundout would bring her home to make it a 5-1 game. However, with two outs and no one on, the inning would come to an end there and the Cardinals suffered the sweep, falling 5-1.
The Cardinals dropped to 4-6 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play and look to fight back on the road this weekend.
Leah Klockowski led the at with a 1-2 day, while
Maddie Munoz and
Makie Paxson each went 1-3 on the day.
Anna Florczak drove in the lone RBI of game two and
Kelsi Green would score the run to round out the day. The Cardinals continue their stretch of home doubleheaders into April and look to get back on track before hitting the road.
The Wheeling University Softball team returns to action on Saturday, April 1st, when the Cardinals host Fairmont State with first pitch at 1 PM.
