Salem, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Baseball team (26-20, 15-13) wrapped up their non-conference schedule on Wednesday when they hit the road to face Salem. The Cardinals bats combined for seven hits on the day, but they could only push across two runs as they fell to Salem 14-2. With the non-conference schedule out of the way, the Cardinals now shift their focus on o the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament.

After the Cardinals went 1-2-3 in the first, Hayden Wilcox would get the start and was charged with a run in the first. The bottom of the second began with a hit by pitch and a two-run Tigers home run would put Salem up 3-0 after two innings. Wilcox's day would end there as he lasted 2.0 innings allowing three runs on two hits while walking one and striking out two. Sonny Peluchette would then take over, throwing the third and fourth inning. After being tagged for two runs in the bottom of the third, Peluchette came back and fired a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth when he got two flyouts and a groundout to finish what was a solid outing. He threw 2.0 innings of work allowing two runs on two hits while walking a batter and after four innings it was Salem 5, Wheeling 1.

The lone Wheeling run to that point came in the top of the third and came after the team had their first base runner in the top of the second. Sammy Kondroik stepped in to lead off the inning and sent his first home run of the year. It made it a 3-1 game before Salem added the two runs in the third And the Cardinals were still alive trailing 5-1. However, the Tigers bats continued to hit the ball well and added five runs in the bottom half to open things up and make it a 10-1 game. The Cardinals responded in the bottom half of the inning when Donovan Dubuisson drew a one out walk. He would move to second on a passed ball and a Nic Ancelet single moved runners to the corners with one away. Two batters later, the Cardinals manufactured a run when Ancelet took off for second and Dubuisson stole home to make it a 10-2 game.

 Four more runs came in for Salem in the bottom of the sixth and the Cardinals came to the plate down 14-2 in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals would get a base runner on courtesy of a Tyler Livingston single, but that was the only base runner to end the inning. The two teams met and agreed to end the game after seven innings, bringing the game to its final score of 14-2.

The Cardinals were led on the day by Sammy Kondroik, who drove in the only RBI of the day. He finished 1-3 with a home run, the first of his collegiate career, as he got the Cardinals started. Kobe Hill got the start in center field and ended with a perfect day, going 2-2, while Tyler Livingston came off the bench to get a hit in his only at-bat of the day. The team now turns their focus towards the upcoming "The Battle for Wheeling" as they battle the rival West Liberty Hilltoppers for the #2 seed in the MEC North for the 2023 MEC Tournament.

The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Friday, May 5th, when they hit the road to face West Liberty in the first two games of the series with first pitch at 1 PM.