Bluefield, W. Va. – After winning their first weekend series of the year a week ago, the Wheeling University Baseball team (4-2, 0-0) looked to make it two in a row this week. They opened up a three-game series against Bluefield State on Saturday, as they took down the Big Blue 5-3. It was a late home run that lifted the Cardinals to victory as they now turn their attention towards a series win on Sunday.
The Cardinal's offense would get the scoring started in the top of the first as
Aidan Willard walked to start things off.
Spencer Craig would follow with a single that moved runners to first and second and a wild pitch moved both runners up with nobody out. It would bring the Cardinal's RBI leader
Braden Killens to the plate, and he would come through with an RBI groundout that brought home Willard and made it a 1-0 Cardinal lead. Unfortunately, that was the only run the Cardinals would push across in the inning, but it marked the third straight game where the Cardinals scored first. However, Bluefield State pitcher Zach Powell was able to settle in after that, throwing up five straight zeroes as Wheeling was held off the board until the top of the seventh inning.
Meanwhile,
Kody McCarley took the hill for the Cardinals for his third start of the season and was once again effective. The senior would last 7.0 innings allowing three runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out four. All three Bluefield State runs would come in the bottom of the fourth as a two-run home run from Jean Carlos Diaz and a Fielder's Choice would give Bluefield State a 3-1 lead. After the start, McCarley has now allowed three earned runs or less in each of his first three starts of the season and has posted a 3.00 ERA over 15.0 innings of work. The score would remain 3-1 heading into the top of the seventh, and the Cardinal's offense would pick up their starter for his hard work on the mound.
After a pop-out started the inning, a fielding error allowed
Christian Boyles to reach with one out. He would then steal second to put a runner in scoring position and
Bode Stewart followed with a single to put runners at the corners. It flipped the lineup and Willard would come through with an RBI single that cut the deficit to 3-2. A fielder's choice would allow Craig to reach base and put runners at the corners with two outs. Killens would step to the plate in a big spot and he would come through lifting his fourth home run of the season. It was a three-run blast over the center field wall and, for the first time since the fourth inning, the Cardinals had the lead at 5-3. McCarley would respond with a scoreless seventh inning and was on line for the win after the outburst.
Sebastian Khan would come in for the eighth and allowed one base runner on an error before retiring the side. He came back out for the ninth looking for a save and retired the first two batters on a ground out and a strikeout. A two-out single from Bluefield State's Noah Moritz kept the game alive, but Khan came through with a strikeout to end the inning. Khan would end up throwing 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, while retiring five of his six batters via strikeout to collect his first save. The Cardinals would go on to win the game 5-3 and have the upper hand on another weekend win as they head into Sunday's series finale doubleheader.
The Cardinals offense as led by
Braden Killens, who finished 1-5 with a home run and four RBI. Killens homered for the fourth time in his first six games of the season and leads the Mountain East Conference (MEC) with four home runs this season.
Aidan Willard would drive in the other run of the day as he finished 1-3 with two walks and an RBI. Five different Cardinals would get the final hits of the day as they rounded out the season opener.
Games two and three of the three-game weekend series kicks off on Sunday as Wheeling battles Bluefield State with first pitch at 1 PM.
