Charleston, W.Va. - The Wheeling University Baseball team (28-21, 17-13) opened Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament presented by YES! Chevrolet and YES! Ford play on Thursday as they faced the #2 seed from the MEC South in Concord. The Cardinals got off to a hot start, scoring the game's first three runs, but it wasn't enough as the Mountain Lions fought back as Wheeling fell 4-3. The Cardinals now move into an elimination game on Friday as they get set to take on the #3 seed from the MEC North in West Liberty.
Wheeling would serve as the visitors at GoMart Ballpark, and got things started right away after the first two batters were retired in the top of the first. Braden Killens stepped in with two outs and got ahead in the count 2-0. He would take the 2-0 pitch and launch it over the right field wall to put the Cardinals out in front 1-0. Kody McCarley would take the ball for the game one start, and that run was more than enough for the hard throwing right-hander. He got into some trouble in the first inning, with runners at the corners and two outs, but got a huge flyout to keep his team in front 1-0. He would allow just one more hit the rest of the way as he got his team through 4.0 strong innings. He allowed just two hits in the outing while walking two and striking out four, giving the Cardinals the boost, they needed on the mound.
Before McCarley's exit, the Cardinals ended up getting him some more run support as Jacob Murray started things off with a single. Lucas Rawlins followed with a single of his own and the Cardinals were in business with runners at first and second with nobody out. Thomas Kegerreis would step in and reached on a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning and brought Scott Kondroik to the plate. After falling behind 0-1, he came through with an RBI single that brough home Murray and made it a 2-0 Wheeling advantage. The next two hitters would fly out to end the inning, but after 4.0 innings of play it was Wheeling 2, Concord 0.
The Cardinals offense looked to add on in the top of the fifth and set themselves up for success when Christian Boyles singled to start the inning. Spencer Craig then stepped up and changed places with Boyles, sending a 1-0 pitch to right field for an RBI double that pushed Wheeling's advantage to 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. Head Coach Ryan Lewicki would then dispatch his bullpen as Kenny Jinks came on for the bottom of the fifth. Jinks had his stuff working through his first 2.1 innings, retiring the first seven batters he faced. He allowed a one-out double for his first hit of the afternoon before Concord got on the board with an RBI single by MJ Hunter that made it a 3-1 Wheeling lead.
After a pair of walks, another two out single by Concord's Kyle Keenan brought home two more runs before Jake Rife got the final out of the inning to keep it a 3-3 game. Jinks would end up throwing 2.2 innings allowing three runs on three hits while walking two and striking out two as the Cardinals came back to the bat racks. Wheeling was in business in the top of the eighth after back-to-back two-out singles by Kondroik and Garth Charlton and a walk from Kobe Hill to load the bases. However, a groundout would end the inning and the game remained tied at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
The Mountain Lions would start things off with a single and a balk moved the runner to second before a sacrifice bunt moved him to third. With a runner on third and one out, a wild pitch brought the runner home and Wheeling fell behind 4-3. Rife would get a groundout for the second out of the inning before being lifted for reliever Hunter Dyck. Rife would throw 1.0 inning allowing a run on a hit while walking one. Dyck would get the final out of the inning and Wheeling came to the plate down by one in the top of the ninth. After the first two batters were retired, Murray sent a high fly ball to right field, but it fell just short on the track as Wheeling would fall to the Mountain Lions 4-3.
It was a big day for Scott Kondroik, who came through with the lone multi-hit game of the day for the Cardinals to lead the way. He finished 2-4 with an RBI and came through with the big one-out hit in the top of the fourth that made it a 2-0 Wheeling lead. Braden Killens kept his power stroke alive, hitting a home run in the top of the first and finishing 1-5 with that home run. The other RBI came courtesy of Spencer Craig, who went 1-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI to round out the day. With the loss, the Cardinals move into an elimination game scenario on Friday as they need to win four games in a row to earn the program's first MEC Championship.
The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Friday, May 12th, when they take on crosstown rival #3N West Liberty with first pitch at 11 AM.
