Wheeling, W. Va. - As wet weather continues to roll through the northern panhandle of West Virginia, the Wheeling University Softball team (6-22, 4-6) had to move around the schedule for this weekend. It sets the Cardinals up for a pair of home doubleheaders for the third week in a row as they jump headfirst back into Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division Play. They open the weekend on Sunday when they host Frostburg State at 1 PM and follow that up with a rescheduled doubleheader against Fairmont State on Monday at 4 PM.

Wheeling competed in "The Battle for Wheeling" for the first time this season in their last doubleheader as they took on rival West Liberty. In both contests, the Cardinals mounted late-game comeback efforts, but both times those comeback efforts would fall short. In game one, the Hilltoppers built a 6-0 lead over the first six innings of play before the Cardinals got going. Wheeling pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth but went on to fall 6-2 and looked to earn at least a split of the series. Game two once again saw West Liberty jump out to a lead once again, this time 5-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Cardinals managed to get one more run across, but in the end, they fell 5-1 bringing the day to an end.

Despite the pair of losses, junior Maddie Munoz kept her strong season going, finishing the day 3-7 with a double. She was the only Cardinal to record a multi-hit game on the day when she went 2-4 in game one and added her third double of the season. She raised her average to a career-best .395 and sits 40 points higher than the next closest Cardinal. Munoz has also been racking up the extra base hits this season, leading the MEC with six triples this season. Munoz looks to continue her success this weekend and help the Cardinals once again even their conference record and climb the standings in the MEC North Division.

Despite getting the loss in game two, sophomore Randi Holder threw her second complete game of the season in game two of the doubleheader. She allowed five runs, four earned, on 11 hits while walking one and striking out eight. Holder recorded three 1-2-3 innings on the afternoon and maintained the lowest ERA on the team at 6.65. For the Cardinals to climb that ladder in the division this season, they will need strong pitching performances to keep them in games and Holder has been giving her team a chance to win all season long.

Entering the weekend, the Cardinals sit in a tie for third in the MEC North Division, sitting even with Frostburg State at 4-6. They will be taking on two teams this weekend that sit directly ahead of them in the conference standings and a pair of doubleheader sweeps would have them flying high moving into April. However, a pair of losses could hurt the Cardinals as they try to climb their way into the playoff race. With a month to go in the season, the Cardinals are looking to set themselves up for success as they try to get back to the MEC Playoffs for the first time since the 2018 season, when they made the MEC Championship game.

The Matchups

Frostburg State: The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the ninth and 10th time in program history on Sunday, with Frostburg State leading the all-time series at 8-0. The two teams have met four previous times in Wheeling with the Cardinals hoping that the third doubleheader between the two will help them grab their first win. Last season, the two teams met in Frostburg, Maryland, with the Bobcats winning by scores of 8-6 and 10-6. Brooke Slomkowski led the way in game one, going 3-5 with a double and three RBI, while Anna Florczak led the way going 1-3 with two RBI on the day.

Fairmont State: The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 34th and 35th times in program history, with Fairmont State leading the all-time series at 19-14. The Cardinals are 7-10 all-time in 17 home games against the Falcons and are looking to keep their momentum going with two wins last season. Wheeling would sweep that doubleheader in Fairmont, West Virginia winning by scores of 3-0 and 4-3. Former Cardinal Madison Macy tossed a complete-game shutout in game one and Brooke Slomkowski led the way in game two, going 1-3 with an RBI.

The Details

First pitch for the weekend's opening doubleheader will be on Sunday, April 2nd, against Frostburg State with first pitch at 1 PM at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.